Admiral Dewey in 1897
Born in Montpelier,VT
on 26 Dec 1837
Died in Washington, DC
on 16 Jan 1917
Commander, Asiatic Squadron;
President, General Board of the Navy;
Chairman, Joint Army-Navy Board
Congressional Sword of Honor
Dewey Medal
Civil War Medal
Spanish Campaign Medal
Philippine Campaign Medal
George Dewey was born on December 26, 1837 in Montpelier, Vermont. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1857 and he was commissioned as a lieutenant in 1861. During the Civil War he served with Admiral Farragut during the Battle of New Orleans and as part of the Atlantic blockade. From 1871 until 1896, Dewey held a variety of positions in the Navy. In 1897 he was named commander of the Asiatic Squadron.
On May 1, 1898, Dewey engaged
the Spanish forces at Manila Bay in the Philippines and
demolished them, inflicting very heavy casualties. His troops occupied
the bay and Manila itself alone until General Wesley Merritt's soldiers
arrived in August.
In July, 1903, Dewey was given an additional task when Secretary of War Elihu Root and Secretary of the Navy William Moody agreed to establish a Joint Army-Navy Board. Dewey, being the senior officer on the new board, served as chairman.
George Dewey remained in the Navy and served on both boards until his death on January 16, 1917 at the age of 79. Dewey is buried in the National Cathedral in Washington, DC.
