George Dewey
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| George Dewey | |
|---|---|
| December 26, 1837 – January 16, 1917 (aged 79) | |
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| Place of birth | Montpelier, Vermont |
| Place of death | Washington, D.C. |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/branch |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1858-1917 |
| Rank | Admiral of the Navy |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War Spanish-American War *Battle of Manila Bay |
George Dewey (December 26, 1837 – January 16, 1917) was an admiral of the United States Navy, best known for his victory (without the loss of a single life of his own forces due to combat; one man died of heat stroke) at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War. He was also the only person in the history of the United States to have attained the rank of Admiral of the Navy, the most senior rank in the United States Navy.
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[edit] Early life and naval career
Dewey was born in Montpelier, Vermont, attended Norwich University for two years (1852-1854), and graduated from the Naval Academy in 1858. After graduation as a midshipman he served aboard the USS Wabash when she touched at her first port of call, Gibraltar, on 17 August 1858. Wabash returned to the New York Navy Yard on 16 December 1859 and decommissioned there on 20 December 1859. He served as a lieutenant under Admiral David Farragut in the American Civil War, seeing action in Louisiana and along the Mississippi River. He attained the rank of lieutenant commander in 1865.
Dewey remained in the Navy after the war and in 1896 was made a Commodore. He was appointed to the command of the United States Asiatic Squadron a few weeks before the start of the war with Cuba.
[edit] Spanish-American War
On April 27, 1898, he sailed out from China with orders to attack the Spanish at Manila Bay. He stopped at the mouth of the bay late the night of April 30, and the following morning he gave the order to attack at first light, by saying the now famous words "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley." Within 6 hours, on May 1, he had sunk or captured the entire Spanish Pacific fleet under Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasarón and silenced the shore batteries at Manila, with the loss of only one life on the American side.
News of the victory in the Battle of Manila Bay made Dewey a great hero in the United States, and Dewey was promoted to Rear Admiral. Dewey's swift easy victory no doubt did much to encourage the William McKinley administration in its decision to place the Philippines under American control.
Dewey aided General Wesley Merritt in taking formal possession of Manila on August 13, 1898. In the early stages of the war the Americans were greatly aided by the Filipino nationalists led by Emilio Aguinaldo who had been attacking the Spanish by land as Dewey was attacking them by sea. Dewey and Aguinaldo at first enjoyed a cordial relationship, and Dewey wrote that the Filipinos were “intelligent” and well "capable of self-government"; however the McKinley administration soon decided otherwise, and by the start of 1899, Dewey had to threaten to shell Aguinaldo's forces to allow American troops to land in Manila (for details, see History of the Philippines).
Dewey returned to America to a hero's welcome, and by act of Congress was made Admiral of the Navy in 1899. A special military decoration, the Dewey Medal, was also named in his honor.
Dewey officially remained an active officer of the Navy until his death, as a special honor after he passed retirement age. He published his autobiography in 1913. Admiral George Dewey died in Washington, D.C., still on active duty, while serving as President of the Navy Board.
[edit] Dewey as Presidential Candidate
After Dewey's return from the Spanish-American War, many suggested he run for President of the United States on the Democratic ticket. However, his candidacy was plagued by public relations missteps. Newspapers started attacking him as naïve after he was quoted as saying the job of president would be easy since the chief executive was merely following orders in executing the laws enacted by Congress and that he would "execute the laws of Congress as faithfully as I have always executed the orders of my superiors." Shortly thereafter he admitted to never having voted in a presidential election. He drew yet more criticism when he offhandedly told a newspaper reporter that "Our next war will be with Germany." [1]
Dewey also angered some Protestants by marrying Catholic Mildred McLean Hazen (the widow of General William Babcock Hazen and daughter of Washington McLean, the former owner of The Washington Post) in November 1899 and giving her the house that the nation had given him following the war. [2]
Dewey withdrew from the race in mid-May and endorsed William McKinley.
[edit] Dates of Rank
- Midshipman - June 11, 1854
- Passed Midshipman - January 19, 1861
In the era of the Civil War, it was a common practice for officers to be granted shipboard commissions based on the need to fill certain jobs or billets. Dewey was therefore made a Lieutenant once he "signed on" with David Farragut. He never held the rank of Ensign and skipped the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade (which in the 1860s was known as "Master").
| Lieutenant | Lieutenant Commander | Commander | Captain |
|---|---|---|---|
| O-3 | O-4 | O-5 | O-6 |
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| April 19, 1861 | March 3, 1865 | April 13, 1872 | September 27, 1884 |
| Commodore | Rear Admiral | Vice Admiral | Admiral | Admiral of Navy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-7 | O-8 | O-9 | O-10 | Special Rank |
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| February 28, 1896 | May 10, 1898 | Never Held | March 2, 1899 | March 24, 1903 Retroactive to March 2, 1899 |
Most of the earlier ranks displayed above used different insignia when worn by Dewey in the Civil War. The current U.S. Navy stripe system was not formalized until 1889.
[edit] Honors
In 1898, the Borough of Hellertown, Pennsylvania formed its fire department naming it Dewey Fire Company No. 1 in honor of George Dewey.
Three ships of the United States Navy have borne the name USS Dewey, including an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, USS Dewey (DDG-105) that began construction in 2005.
Thomasville, Georgia, contains the Dewey City "subdivision," an area settled in the late 1880s by former slaves.
The column in the center of San Francisco's Union Square is dedicated t to Dewey's victory at Manila Bay.
Dewey Beach, Delaware is named in honor of Admiral Dewey.
In 1899, Mills Novelty released a slot machine named The Dewey, in honor of Admiral Dewey.
The name of the main town of Culebra, Puerto Rico was named in his honor, however it is known by many locals simply as Pueblo.
Dewey Avenue in Wharton, New Jersey is named in honor of Admiral Dewey.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Dates of promotion from The Records of Living Officers of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, Sixth Edition, 1889, by Lewis Randolph Hamersly. [3]
- The Dewey slot machine at Arcade-History.com. [4]
[edit] External links
- Dewey biography on Spanish American War Centennial Website - includes links to some of Dewey's letters
- Dewey biographical information on Naval Historical Center website
| Preceded by Newly created |
Member of the Schurman Commission March 4, 1899–March 16, 1900 |
Succeeded by Luke Edward Wright (Taft Commission) |
| Preceded by Pierre Charles L'Enfant |
Persons who have lain in state or honor in the United States Capitol rotunda January 20, 1917 |
Succeeded by Unknown Soldier of World War I |
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