Dewey and Other Naval Commanders | Page 9

Dewey deserved one of the most important commands at the
disposal of the Government. The impetuous official was certain that
war with Spain was at hand, and that one of the most effective blows
against that tyrannous power could be struck in the far East, where the
group of islands known as the Philippines constituted her most princely
possessions.
The assignment, as has been stated, was not pleasing to Dewey,
because he and others believed the real hard fighting must take place in
European or Atlantic waters. We all know the uneasiness that prevailed
for weeks over the destination of the Spanish fleet under Admiral
Cervera. Dewey wanted to meet him and do some fighting that would
recall his services when a lieutenant in the Civil War, and he saw no
chance of securing the chance on the other side of the world, but
Roosevelt was persistent, and, against the wishes of the Naval Board,
he obtained his assignment as flag officer of the Asiatic squadron.
Commodore Dewey felt that the first duty of an officer is to obey, and
after a farewell dinner given by his friends at the Metropolitan Club in
Arlington, he hurriedly completed his preparations, and, starting for
Hong Kong, duly reached that port, where, on January 3, 1898, he
hoisted his flag on the Olympia.
The official records show that the Olympia was ordered home, but
Roosevelt, in a confidential dispatch of February 25, directed
Commodore Dewey to remain, to prepare his squadron for offensive
operations, and, as soon as war broke out with Spain, to steam to the
Philippines and hit the enemy as hard as he knew how. Meanwhile
ammunition and supplies were hurried across the continent to San

Francisco as fast as express trains could carry them, and were sent
thence by steamer to Hong Kong, where they were eagerly received by
the waiting Commodore.
Reverting to those stirring days, it will be recalled that the Queen
Regent of Spain declared war against the United States on April 24,
1898, to which we replied that war had begun three days earlier, when
the Madrid government dismissed our minister and handed him his
passports. Then followed, or rather were continued, the vigorous
preparations on the part of our authorities for the prosecution of the war
to a prompt and decisive end.
Commodore Dewey's squadron lay at anchor in the harbor of Hong
Kong, awaiting the momentous news from Washington. When it
reached the commander it was accompanied by an order to capture or
destroy the enemy's fleet at Manila. Almost at the same time Great
Britain issued her proclamation of neutrality, the terms of which
compelled Dewey to leave the British port of Hong Kong within
twenty-four hours. He did so, steaming to Mirs Bay, a Chinese port
near at hand, where he completed his preparations for battle, and on the
27th of April steamed out of the harbor on his way to Manila.
The city of Manila, with a population numbering about a quarter of a
million, lies on the western side of Luzon, the principal island, with a
magnificent bay in front, extensive enough to permit all the navies of
the world to manoeuvre with plenty of elbow room. The entrance to the
immense bay is seven miles wide and contains two islands, Corregidor
and Caballo, both of which were powerfully fortified, the works
containing a number of modern guns. Torpedoes were stretched across
the channel and the bay abounded with enough mines and torpedoes, it
would seem, to blow any fleet of ironclads to atoms as soon as it dared
to try to force an entrance into the waters. Some twenty miles beyond
lay the city of Manila, and about ten miles to the south was Cavité,
constituting the strongly fortified part of the city proper.
Of course the Spanish spies were on the watch in Hong Kong, and
while the American squadron was steaming out of the bay the news
was telegraphed to the authorities at Manila, who knew that the real

destination of the enemy was that city. Every effort was made to keep
the matter a secret, but it was impossible, and it soon became known to
everybody that the American "pigs" were coming, and that Manila must
fall, if the Spanish fleet were unable to beat off the enemy.
The Spaniards proclaimed that they would send every one of the
American vessels to the bottom; but they had made similar boasts
before, and their bombast did not quiet the fears of the people, among
whom a panic quickly spread. Those who were able to do so gathered
their valuables and took refuge on the merchant ships in the harbor and
thanked heaven when they bore them away. Many others fled from the
city, but the majority stayed, grimly