George Dewey
George Dewey (December 26, 1837 – January 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, with the loss of only a single crewman on the American side.
"Admiral Dewey" redirects here. For the boat, see Admiral Dewey (tugboat).
George Dewey
December 26, 1837
Montpelier, Vermont, U.S.
January 16, 1917 (aged 79)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
United States
1858–1917
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. Summarily, he entered the United States Naval Academy in 1854. He graduated from the academy in 1858 and was assigned as the executive lieutenant of the USS Mississippi 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 the USS Constitution) 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[edit]
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.[1][2] Julius was a physician who received his degree from The University of Vermont. He was among the founders of the National Life Insurance Company in 1848,[1] a member of the Episcopal Church, and was among the founders of the Christ Episcopal Church in Montpelier. George was baptized and attended Sunday school there. George had two older brothers and a younger sister.[3]
Dewey's third cousin twice removed was Thomas E. Dewey, Governor of New York and two time Republican Party presidential nominee.[4]
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.[5] The school, better known as Norwich University, had been founded by Alden Partridge and aimed at giving cadets a well-rounded military education. Dewey attended for two years (1852–1854).[1] Dewey found a military role model when he read a biography of Hannibal.[5]
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Dewey entered the United States Naval Academy in 1854 at the age of 16. The conventional four-year course had just been introduced in 1851 and the cadet corps was quite small, averaging about one hundred Acting Midshipmen.[1] Out of all that entered in his year, only fourteen stayed through the course. He stood fifth on the class roll at graduation.[5] He graduated from the Academy on 18 June 1858.[1]
Midshipman[edit]
As a midshipman, Dewey first went to sea on a practice cruise aboard USS Saratoga; on this cruise he earned recognition as a cadet officer. As a result, he was assigned to one of the best ships of the old Navy—the steam frigate USS Wabash.[5] Wabash under Captain Samuel Barron was the new flagship of the Mediterranean Squadron. On 22 July 1858, the ship left Hampton Roads for Europe.[1]
Wabash reached her first port of call, Gibraltar, on 17 August 1858. She cruised in the Mediterranean, and the cadet officers visited the cities of the Old World accessible to them, often taking trips inland. Dewey was assigned to keep the ship's log.[5] Wabash returned to the New York Navy Yard on 16 December 1859, and decommissioned there on 20 December 1859. Dewey served on two short-term cruises in 1860.
Civil War service[edit]
At the beginning of the American Civil War, Dewey was executive lieutenant on USS Mississippi, a steam paddle frigate assigned to the Union West Gulf Blockading Squadron.
Politics[edit]
Many suggested Dewey run for President on the Democratic ticket in 1900.[22] 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."[23] Dewey also angered some Protestants by marrying a Catholic and giving her the house that the nation had given him following the war.[24] Dewey withdrew from the race in mid-May 1900 and endorsed William McKinley.
In 1900, after his withdrawal from the presidential race, he was named president of the newly established General Board of the Navy Department, which was the Navy's major policy‑making body. He remained in active naval service on the board until his death, and played a major role in championing the introduction of new technologies into the expanding U.S. Navy with his support of the development of naval aviation and the submarine.
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.[36][37][17] Nor was he appointed to the rank of vice admiral, there being no actively serving vice admirals in the US Navy at that time.
Admiral Dewey's final rank was Admiral of the Navy, making him the highest-ranking officer in the history of the United States Navy. He is the only person ever to hold this rank. Admiral of the Navy is equivalent to General of the Armies. General John J. Pershing, US Army, was promoted to General of the Armies in 1919, Lieutenant General George Washington, US Army, was posthumously promoted on the Retired List of the US Army to the rank of General of the Armies of the United States, with an effective date of rank of 4 July 1776, and General Ulysses S. Grant also received a posthumous promotion on December 27, 2022.[39]
[17]
Admiral Dewey served a total of 62 years on active duty in the U.S. Navy. This was just one year less than Admiral Hyman G. Rickover.
Note – Although Dewey was entitled to all of the above medals, he is pictured at right wearing only the Battle of Manila Bay Medal. He wore the medal with the reverse side showing because his profile was on the obverse side. (He was one of only four officers in American military history entitled to wear a medal with his own image on it.) He is wearing the special additional gold braid on his sleeves denoting his unique rank as Admiral of the Navy.
