Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-10-05
COMES OF FIGHTING BLOOD.

EARLY Career and Characteristics of
Americas Popular Idol.
Admiral George Dewey comes from
fighting stock. There have been Dewey
fighters in every American war since
Thomas Dewey, the founder Of the fam
lily in this country, built his cottage In
Dorcester, Mass, in 1858. This pioneer
Dewey Of the New World was born in
Sandwich, England. In the revolution
ary war we read of Dewey parson in
southern Vermont who adjourned church
service to fight with the gallant Stark
against the Hessians at the battle Of
Bennington, and who then returned and
completed his sermon. There was
Corporal Dewey who took part In the
6rst skirmish at Lexington. All told,
the Deweys furnished twenty-four sol
diers in the revolutionary war. In the
war Of 1912 there were thirteen Deweys
who aided in defense Of the Tag.
BY the time the civil war broke out the
Dewey name was widely extended. Two
dozen Deweys fought among the boys In
blue from old Vermont One Massachu-
sets regiment contained six Deweys and
was commanded by relative OF Admiral
Dewey's mother. Admiral Dewey him
Sell WON nigh uOuOI6 uANCA u oAlO6ok oAAN
his brother Edward entered the war a
private and came out captain. In Lii
nois seventy men bearing the Dewey
name entered the Union ranks. On the
maternal side Admiral Dewey is related
to the Porter family, which gave two
naval captains to the nation.
In the war with Spain one Of the ad-
miraps brothers sent his two sons to the
} ~ 81 he ot vol too
ed, but got no opportunity to serve, as
Vermont's quota was already hlled. And
the Vermont regiment, by the way, was
An Early Anecdote.
There are many anecdotes told of
George Dewey in those far-off days in
Vermont, long ere the future admiral
dreamed Of the stern realities Of life.
He had a temper that had habit OF as
sorting itself and that caused good Or.
Dewey considerable worry. He was a
leader among his companions in all kinds
Of childish pranks and was fighter. In
fact his combativeness was always pro-
nOunced.
Once in his fathers buggy he set out
| with a companion to bring home the
cows. They found the ford over the Dog
river which enters the Winooski near
Montpelier, impossible. Against the adj
vice of his companion, George drove into
the rushing stream. The top Of the buggy
was carried away and the lads only saved
themselves by getting on the horses back.
When George returned home his father
was away and the youngsters innate
sense of tactics prompted him to go to
bed. The father soon afterward made
his appearance in Georges chamber and
began Gliding him for his rashness. From
the depths of the bedclothes came this
| childish appeal: You ought to be thank
| full that my life was spared. The good
/ doctor turned away without another
word.
4 Fighter at annapolis.
At 15 young Dewey went to the Nor
wich Military Academy, and it was while
| there he conceived a taste for military
| life and expressed !. desire to go to An
napolis. At the age of IL he entered
/ that institution in the class of "a.
Young Dewey was graduated IN 1888,
AS midshipman he was sent to the Eu-
ropean station, cruising for two years in
| the Mediterranean on the Wabash, with
Captain Barron OF Virginia, who after
ward joined the Confederate navy. In