Show Recalling the Hero of Manila Bay Bay I By ELMO SCOTT WATSON T WAS just 20 years yearn ago that the word flashed over the wires from Washington D D. D C. C that a aman aman aman man named George Dewey had died there and Immediately thousands of Americans Americana recalled once more how that tha t name had thrilled them one May morning back in 1898 For this man was the Hero of Manila Bay and his astounding victory in the off far-off Philippines at the very beginning be be- ginning of the Spanish American war had at once placed his name high in that galaxy of naval heroes which includes includes includes in in- the names of John Paul Jones Stephen Decatur Oliver Hazard Perry and David id Farragut This was the man for for whom they had poured out a n flood of adulation such as few lew other Americans had ever before before before be be- fore received and few have known since They built a triumphal arch in his honor in New NewYork NewYork NewYork York city they raised money to buy a house in Washington Washing Washing- ton for tor him and they presented presented presented pre pre- I him with a loving cup made from dimes They made songs about him such ouch popular ballads as Twos on a dewy morning In Inthe Inthe inthe the dewy month of May When a man named Dewey Dewcy sailed Into Manila ManUa bay They named their sons otter after him And If lf today youre you're introduced introduced intro Intro- duct to a man whose first name Is la Dewey youre you're safe lafe In n guessing guess guess- ing WI that he was born late lain In 1898 or 01 early In And then these Americans who constitute The Public which Is consistent only In Its Us inconsistency cy proved once more its Ackle- Ackle ness nesi by turning against the man whose name they had stung Aung against the stars They didn't approve of his hb marrying again nor of his deeding his gift allt house to his young second wife wile And when In response to what he understood understood un un- was WOl a popular demand he announced his candidacy for forthe forthe I the Presidency it was characterized characterized character character- Ired as the climax to a series of unfortunate mistakes and the public that had once praised him now ridiculed him But this latter episode was forgotten for gotten when at sunset on January Janu Janu- January ary 10 1917 he died All AU the honors that man can give to a hero herd were his There was a state slate funeral In the tho Capitol and burial in Arlington The newspapers printed column upon column about his career and once more the name of the Hero lIero of Manila Bay Day wl was was s on every Americans American's lips It Ital was al thus for tor only a day or two At that time Americans were facing the grim reality of their country's being drawn Inevitably into the war then raging in Eu Eu- rope Within three months after his burial in Arlington America had gone In with the Allies and under the shadow of this great conflict the war In III which Dewey had won his fame tame grew more and more Insignificant A l Forgotten Hero lIero Out of tho the World war came new heroes to be acclaimed and to the younger generation ol of Americans Admiral G Goo George o o r a g e Dewey became little more more than a B name in their school histories And thus it has been for tor the last two decades But Dut this year it will be heard again for America Is preparing to celebrate the centennial of his birth Vermont and particularly its capital Montpelier where still leading ending back to Thomas Dewey the he first of that name who came camerom from rom England and landed at Boston Boston Boson Bos Bos- ton on in 1633 1033 Among them was his ils great grandfather William WilHam Dewey ewey who was a B Minute Man Manat at the outbreak of the Revolution and later laler a corporal In hi the Continental Continental Conti Conti- army who served at Saratoga Sara Sara- toga oga under General Gates Williams William's son Simeon was born orn at Hebron Conn and died in Montpelier Vt at the age ago of ninety Simeon Dewey had made his impression on the life of Montpelier as justice of the peace and was one of the organizers organ organ- of Dartmouth college who gave 50 acres of land for its use and md support Their son Julius y Y Dewey became a doctor John Barrett Darrett biographer of Admiral Ad miral mirol Dewey Dewcy declares Dr Julus Jul Jul- lus Ius us Dewey explains the greatness of his son He lIe was great before belore him ilm lIe He may not have won national na na- national fame but his fellow citizens citizens citi citi- zens appreciated his sterling worth lie was an exceptional man lIe He was a rare development of the very best Vermont stock Graduated from Norwich college col col- lege ege at the age of seventeen young Dewey even though there was no heritage of the sea in his ancestry decided he wanted togo to togo go CD to the United States Stales Naval academy at Annapolis and Dr Dewey secured the appointment from rom Vermont for his son At first young Deweys Dewey's grades were not high but after aCter a warning from both his stern father and his teachers he improved his scholarship schol and was graduated third in his class in 1858 A Baptism of Fire In April 1861 1801 Midshipman Dewey was commissioned lieutenant lieu tenant and soon had his baptism of fire For he was assigned to the steam frigate Mississippi Inthe in inthe n the West Coast squadron in the Gulf of ot Mexico which brought him under the command of David G G. G II Farragut Dewey Dewcy was on the Mississippi when it ran ashore at Fort Jackson Jackson Jack Jack- son son after losing Its Us bearing In the smoke of battle On swimming away from the ship Dewey Dewey Dewey Dew Dew- ey after the order to abandon her came saved the life of a sailor lailor from drowning at the risk of his own life lite and Captain Smith In his report spoke of his bravery and coolness When the Civil war ended Dewey was a lieutenant com t mander a high rank for a young man of twenty Next he was stationed at tho the navy na yard in Portsmouth N. N H. H and there he met and fell feU in n love with Susie the daughter of Coy Gov Ichabod Goodwin They were married in 1807 1667 In 1873 1878 Dewey became the father fa ther of a son but it cost the life of ot the little boys boy's mother Inconsolable In consolable over his loss Dewey Dewcy asked for a distant tour of duty so that he might forget his sor sor- J far ht V t s r I President McKinley l pr presenting e a sword to Admiral Dewey I stands the little house where he was WoIS born on December 20 28 1837 will take the lead in the cerebra tion The national capital where he spent pent the sunset of his Ute life I and where he Is buried burled in Washington Wash ington cathedral will also participate participate par par- and ami from these two centers cen cen- centers ter will come the inspiration for fora a 8 wide nation observance of the Ule career of one of the great ireat figures in Americas America's naval nl the history history the Hero lIero of Manila Mantia Bay It has been said that Dewey was directly descended from Charlemagne and other European monarchs monarch but he probably teak greater pride in the sturdy line of cf New England patriots who he were his hI morn more immediate ancestors ances ances- tore nine tors nine generations of them I row Leaving his son at home borne with his parents Dewey went to the Pacific to take charge of some important surveys in that ocean and very quickly he began rising rapidly In the service He was wu commissioned a captain in 1884 1883 commanded the Pensacola on the he European station from 1885 to 1888 1883 served as chief of the bureau of equipment from 1888 to tD 1893 and as a member of the lighthouse board from 1803 1893 to 18 1896 1800 6 In the latter year rear he was advanced to commodore and also aLio served as president of the board of inspection and survey War With Spain Spats During these years yeara conditions condItions conditions condi condI- under tinder Spanish rule In Cuba had gone cone from bad to worse and American sympathies became ame so ti l y 7 y S. S tat si SE h t S L 4 Th The house In Montpelier Vt t In 10 which Dewey was born I n involved that by the fall faU of 1897 1837 I Iwar war with Spain imm- imm I nent Commodore Dewey was In hi Washington at the time and his I request to take lake command of the Pacific fleet had Just been grant grant- ed Shortly before leaving the capital he happened one day to meet one of the justices of the Supreme court on the street who said to him Commodore It looks as though the Spanish war were coming It certainly does was Deweys Dewey's Deweys Deweys Dewey's Dew Dew- eys ey's answer I suppose said the Justice that the tho first battle will be fought at Havana No said the commodore it will be fought at Manila What do you mean meant said the Justice to which Dewey ey replied r st ADMIRAL ADl GEORGE DEWEY lilt If I have anything to do with I Ishall Ishall Ishall shall sail sall over in the night and capture Manila before breakfast break break- fast That there was another man who had the same idea is shown by the cablegram which Dewey received at China on February 25 1898 1808 from the vigorous vigorous vig vig- orous young assistant secretary of the navy named Theodore Roosevelt It read In the event of war with Spain you will capture or destroy the Spanish I ships In those waters and operate i in the Philippines Dewey was ready and waiting for just some such message as that Although war h had d not yet been formally declared this gave him a freehand free tree freehand hand to fight the Spaniard when and where he found him So with bands playing The Star Spangled Banner Danner Deweys Dewey's squadron put out to sea from Hong lIong Kong and headed for Manila Manila Ma Ma- nila where on May 1 1898 In one of the shortest naval engagements engagements engage engage- ments meats in hi history he destroyed the Spanish fleet without having a B single man killed or suffering serious serious serious se se- rious Injury to any of the Ameri Ameri- American can ships Next the Spanish navy yard at Cavite fell and the power of Spain in the East was ended for tor all aU time The Tho Nation Is Thrilled The news of the victory at Manila Manila Ma Ma- nila thrilled the nation as had no other event for tor many a year Immediately Im Im- Immediately mediately there was a demand for tor prompt and official recognition recognition tion of Deweys Dewey's feat President McKinley appointed him an actIng act act- Ing rear admiral and ROO in a ames message message mes mes- sage to congress on May 9 D 1898 1808 recommended that the thanks of congress be given to the victor of Manila Not only was this done but in addition congress voted that a handsome jeweled sword be presented to Dewey by the government When the new rear admiral came back to the United States In 1899 1809 the sword was presented to him by the President at an impressive im ceremony in front of the Capitol in tho the presence of a cheering throng throne of thousands of people It bore the arms of Vermont Ver mont most and the United States and had the initials G D D. D outlined in diamonds In III March 1899 Dewey was made Admiral of the tho Navy the highest rank ever held by an any American naval officer Farra Farra- gut and Porter having been admirals admirals ad ad- only From March 29 1900 to to the time of his death Dewey was president of the general general gen gen- eral board of the navy and a familiar fa- fa familiar fa figure on the streets of Washington as one of its its' most beloved beloved beloved be be- loved despite citizens citizens despite the temy temporary tem eclipse of his popularity following his marriage ge and the announcement of his candidacy for President A Beautiful Young Widow Deweys Dewey's second wife was the daughter of Washington McLean Cincinnati publisher who had been not only a friend of Lincoln Lincoln Lin Lin- coln and Grant but of Jefferson Davis as well She had married Gen John B. B Hazen who had served in the Union army while still very young and she was a astill astill astill still youthful and nod and altogether charming widow when Dewey who had met her in Washington years before returned to his triumph triumph tri trio in the capital Before long the gossips were linking the names of the elderly naval hero and the young widow and predicting predicting pre pre- dieting their marriage Partly because of ot a prejudice against Mrs Hazens Hazen's religious affiliations af af- affiliations partly because of her social ambitions and partly because because because be be- cause of a a. a feeling that it was somehow undignified for the Hero lIero of Manila Bay to marl marry a n woman much younger than he was was the public disapproved of the match Heedless of this disapproval disapproval dis dis- approval Dewey went ahead and married Mrs Hazen The public might have forgiven him for tor thus deciding that his marriage was his and not the publics public's affair but when he deeded to his wife the house in Washington which had been bought by popular subscription subscrIption subscription sub sub- popular resentment flamed high Then on the morning of April 4 1900 the New York World printed an interview with Dewey In which he said In part If It the American people want me for this high office of President Ishall I Ishall Ishall shall be only too willing to serve them Since studying this subject I am convinced that the theoffice theoffice theoffice office of President is not such a avery avery avery very difficult one to fill his duties duties du duo ties being mainly to execute the laws of Congress Dewey had been approached on the subject of being a B candidate for President but had disclaimed any such ambition However aStop a aStop aStop Stop Bryant Bryan element in the Democratic party had persisted in m promoting his candidacy At last he had yielded to the temptation temptation tion and made his Ws Ill-advised Ill announcement announcement an an- which resulted in much ridicule being heaped upon his head However the fickle public soon forgot as it always does that George Dewey had ever been anything less than the great hero heroit it had once hailed back in 1898 Ills His last years with his wife were idyllically happy until that day in January 1917 when he be contracted contract contract- ed a cold Put to bed by his doctor he grew gradually worse mostly with the ills which he humorously hu described as anno domini dommi It is said that as he lay half half- conscious he began to fight over once more the battles of ot his life and as though he were giving commands from the bridge of th the Mississippi at New Orleans or the Olympia at Manila his voice olce rang out with some of its time old resonance until Death stilled It at last Ills His body was first entombed temporarily in the mausoleum of Gen Nelson A A. A Miles at Arlington Ar Ar- lington then moved with mill mill- tary and naval honors honora to another another an an- other Arlington tomb which his widow had built Later it was removed to the Bethlehem chapel at Mount St. St Alban Washington and finally given its last resting place in the Washington cathe dral the dral-the the American equivalent ofa of ofa ofa a combined Westminster Abbey and St. St Pauls In these four tour entombments en err there is 15 a strange analogy analogy analogy an an- between the careers of Dewey and another American Daval naval naval na- na val hero For John Paul Jones was given three temporary burlIs burl burl- Is als Is before his body was finally I laid to rest in the chapel crypt at Annapolis e 0 Western |