Lieutenant Dewey was ordered to the steam sloop _Mississippi_, one of
the Gulf Squadron, of which Admiral Farragut was the commander. Though
but twenty-three years of age, the young lieutenant won the admiration
of both officers and men.
When the fleet passed the forts below New Orleans, the _Mississippi_ was
the third in the line. All through that terrible fight, Lieutenant Dewey
stood on the bridge, amid the storm of shot and shell. Whenever the guns
flashed out in the darkness, the sailors could see him holding firmly to
the rail, giving orders as calmly as though a battle were an everyday
affair.
When the Confederate iron-clad, _Pensacola_, tried to ram the
_Mississippi_, Lieutenant Dewey never lost his presence of mind. By a
quick move, the _Mississippi_ avoided the _Pensacola_, and passing by,
poured such a broadside into the ram that her crew ran her ashore in a
sinking condition. Admiral Farragut praised the young lieutenant warmly
for his brave conduct in this battle.
About a year later the _Mississippi_, while trying to pass the forts at
Port Hudson, ran aground. The vessel was directly in range of the
enemy's batteries, and there was no hope of saving her. Shot after shot
came crashing through her sides.
The officers who had the task of saving the crew did not return to the
_Mississippi_ after their trip to a place of safety. The rest of the
crew were saved by Lieutenant Dewey. He was obliged to make several
trips to the nearest vessel before he had placed all of the crew out of
danger.
When no one was left on board but Captain Smith and himself, they set
fire to the _Mississippi_ in five places, so that she should not fall
into the hands of the enemy.
As Dewey and the captain were about to get into their boat, Captain
Smith said: "Are you sure she will burn, Dewey?"
"I will take one look more to be sure," replied the brave lieutenant;
and, at the risk of his life, he made his way back and saw that the
fires they had started were making good headway. He then rejoined the
captain, and they pulled away from the burning ship.
After the loss of the _Mississippi_, Lieutenant Dewey was ordered to one
of Admiral Farragut's dispatch boats. The admiral often came on board
and was very friendly to the young lieutenant.
In 1864, Dewey was assigned to the _Colorado_ as first lieutenant. This
vessel was part of the fleet besieging Fort Fisher.
During the second attack on the fort, the _Colorado_ was ordered to go
up close to a certain battery and silence it. Some of the officers
objected, as the _Colorado_ was a wooden vessel and had already been
badly damaged. Lieutenant Dewey said, "We shall be safer in there, and
the battery can be taken in fifteen minutes." The attack was a success
and proved that Dewey was wise as well as brave.
After the battle, Admiral Porter came to thank the commander of the
_Colorado_ for the work that his vessel had done. The commodore replied,
"You must thank Lieutenant Dewey. It was his move."
Three months later he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander
on account of the courage and ability he had shown.
After the close of the war, Dewey's father went to see Farragut in New
York. The famous admiral shook Dr. Dewey's hand warmly and said, "Sir!
Your son George is a worthy and brave officer and some day will make his
mark."
In 1884 he was made captain. He did not receive the rank of commodore
until 1896.
During all these years, he worked hard and did his duty faithfully. When
not on the sea, he was at work on shore, teaching in the Naval Academy,
making marine maps, or looking after supplies for the vessels.
Admiral Dewey's sailors are very fond of him, for although he is strict
he is always just. The two things which he especially dislikes are
disobedience and untruth.
On one occasion, when captain of the _Dolphin_, his lieutenant reported
that one of the men had refused to perform some task on the plea that it
was not his work. Captain Dewey came on deck, and, looking sternly at
the man, said:
"What! you refuse to do as you are told! Don't you know that this is
mutiny?" Calling for the guard, he ordered them to load their guns.
"Now, my man," he said, "you have just five minutes in which to obey
that order." The captain began counting the minutes, and by the time he
had reached four, the order was obeyed.
At another time, while at Gibraltar, one of his sailors who had been
ashore, came aboard late at night, very drunk. Next morning, he tried to
excuse himself to the captain by saying that he had only had two glasses
of grog, but had afterwards been sun-struck.
"You are lying, my man," said Dewey. "You were very drunk. I expect my
men to tell me the truth. Had you told me that you were drunk, I would
have made the punishment as light as possible. Now you get ten days in
irons for lying."
In January, 1898, Commodore Dewey was ordered to take command of the
Asiatic Squadron at Hong Kong, China.