George Dewey

Admiral Dewey as he appears at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

George Dewey (December 26, 1837January 16, 1917) was Admiral of the Navy, the only person in United States history to have attained that rank. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish–American War, without a single combat death.

Dewey was born in Montpelier, Vermont. At age 15, Dewey's father enrolled him at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont. Two years later Norwich expelled him for drunkenness and herding sheep into the barracks. Subsequently, he entered the United States Naval Academy in 1854. He graduated from the academy in 1858 and was assigned as the executive lieutenant of at the beginning of the Civil War. He participated in the capture of New Orleans and the Siege of Port Hudson, helping the Union take control of the Mississippi River. By the end of the war, Dewey reached the rank of lieutenant commander.

After the Civil War, Dewey undertook a variety of assignments, serving on multiple ships (including ) and as an instructor at the Naval Academy. He also served on the United States Lighthouse Board and the Board of Inspection and Survey. He was promoted to commodore in 1896 and assigned to the Asiatic Squadron the following year. After that appointment, he began preparations for a potential war with Spain, which broke out in April 1898. Immediately after the beginning of the war, Dewey led an attack on Manila Bay, sinking or capturing the entire Spanish Pacific fleet while suffering only minor casualties. After the battle, his fleet assisted in the capture of Manila. Dewey's victory at Manila Bay was widely lauded in the United States, and he was promoted to Admiral of the Navy in 1903.

Dewey explored a run for the 1900 Democratic presidential nomination, but he withdrew from the race and endorsed President William McKinley. He served on the General Board of the United States Navy, an important policy-making body, from 1900 until his death in 1917.

Early life Dewey was born in Montpelier, Vermont, on December 26, 1837, directly opposite the Vermont State House, to Julius Yemans Dewey and his first wife, Mary Perrin.

Dewey attended school in the nearby town of Johnson. When he was fifteen years old he went to the American Literary Scientific and Military Academy.

Didn't Admiral Dewey do wonderfully well? I got him the position out there in Asia last year, and I had to beg hard to do it; and the reason I gave was that we might have to send him to Manila. And we sent him — and he went! — Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Wingate Sewall, May 4, 1898 In August after ground troops arrived, Dewey aided U.S. Army General Wesley Merritt in taking possession of Manila on August 13, 1898, during the 1898 Battle of Manila, the "mock Battle of Manila", while Aguinaldo's troops, surrounding Manila, were kept out. In February 1899, the Philippine–American War started. In 1902, Dewey testified during the Lodge Committee's investigation into alleged American war crimes against Filipinos. There, Dewey seemingly reversed his previous positions, stating that "neither the Filipinos nor the Cubans are capable of self-government" and the Philippines would "lapse into anarchy" if the United States granted them full independence. Despite the clear difference between his testimony and his earlier statements, Dewey stated that his testimony reflected the opinions he always held.

Hero

Dewey was promoted to rear admiral in May 1898, and full admiral the following year. Returning to the United States on September 27, 1899, Dewey received a hero's welcome. New York City's September 1899 welcome-home celebration for Dewey was a two-day parade. When Boston paid tribute, he was greeted at City Hall by 280 singers from the Handel and Haydn Society who sang the anthem "See the Conquering Hero Comes" from Handel's Judas Maccabaeus. His candidacy was plagued by public relations missteps. 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." He admitted to never having voted in a presidential election. He drew yet more criticism when he offhandedly, but prophetically, told a newspaper reporter that: "Our next war will be with Germany." the New York Society of the Sons of the Revolution (elected as a life member in 1899), the Vermont Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (joined in 1892, state member number 220 and national member number 2920), the Vermont Society of Colonial Wars (insignia number 2663), the New Jersey Society of the General Society of the War of 1812 (state membership number 15), the Society of American Wars (Vice Commander General), and the Pennsylvania Commandery of the Military Order of Foreign Wars (insignia number 363).

Dewey's membership insignia for most of the societies listed above are in the collection of the National Museum of the United States Navy at the Washington Navy Yard.

Dewey was an early member of the board of directors of the Boy Scouts of America, serving until his resignation from that office in late 1910.

Dates of rank Acting Midshipman, United States Naval Academy: September 23, 1854 Warranted Midshipman: June 11, 1858

In the mid to late-18th Century, the US Navy had three "ranks" of Midshipmen serving: "acting midshipmen" who were active students at the US Naval Academy, "warranted midshipmen" who had completed most of their studies at the Academy and were serving at sea while holding line authority through a warrant of authority, and "passed midshipmen" who had completed all requirements for commissioning and held warranted line authority similar to ensigns of the modern US Navy. In the era of the Civil War, it was a common practice for officers to serve as a "Master" with a warrant of authority until they were commissioned. It was also common 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 ranks of ensign or lieutenant (junior grade) as those ranks were not created until 1862 and 1883, respectively. March 24, 1903

Other Admiral Dewey March, a patriotic march named after him. Admiral Dewey's service sword (not to be confused with the special presentation sword he received in 1899) is on display in the wardroom of the guided missile destroyer .