Page:Men of Mark in America vol 1.djvu/392

 294 the Brooklyn and the Mississippi, and drove the Manassas ashore where she was deserted by her crew, set on fire by the guns of the Mississippi, and blown up. When Farragut's fleet attempted to run the Confederate batteries at Port Hudson, March 14, 1863, the Mississippi, retarded by the Richmond which had become disabled, was forced by the tide upon the flats and directly under the guns of a Confederate battery not 100 yards distant. Lieutenant Dewey spiked the guns of the Mississippi after ordering the crew and junior officers to escape to the opposite shore by swimming, and with Captain Smith he escaped in a small boat, leaving the Mississippi in flames. He was transferred to the gunboat flotilla operating against the Confederate batteries below Donaldsonville, Louisiana, and attached to the Brooklyn; in November, 1863, he was transferred to the Agawam. He was an officer on the steam frigate Colorado, Commodore H. K. Thatcher, in both attacks on Fort Fisher, December 25, 1864, and January 15, 1865. On March 3, 1865, he was commissioned lieutenant commander and was at once sent to the Kearsarge, as executive officer. He served as executive officer on the Canandaigua and Colorado of the European squadron, 1867, was on duty at the United States naval academy, 1867-70; and was assigned to the command of the Narragansett in 1870, and of the Supply in 1871. He was commissioned commander, April 13, 1872, had charge of the Pacific survey, while again commanding the Narragansett, 1872-75; was inspector of fight-houses, 1875-77; member and secretary of the lighthouse board, 1877-82; commanded the Juniata of the Asiatic squadron, 1882-84. September 27, 1884, he was promoted to the rank of captain and assigned to the command of the Dolphin of the "White Squadron," 1884-85; the Pensacola, flagship of the European squadron, 1885-88; served as chief of the Bureau of Equipment and Recruiting in Washington, District of Columbia, 1889-93, and was on the Lighthouse Board, and Examining and Retiring Boards, 1893-95. In November, 1895, he was president of the Board of Inspection and Survey, and served as such until November, 1897, being commissioned commodore February 28, 1896. On November 30, 1897, he was assigned to the command of the Asiatic squadron.

The prospect of war with Spain was the chief topic of speculation at this time, and when he took command of the Asiatic squadron on January 3, 1898, the importance of the appointment by the secretary of the navy began to be appreciated and Commodore Dewey's fitness