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THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ADMIRAL DEWEY
(FROM HEARST’S MAGAZINE FOR AUGUST)
The intensely interesting au
tobiography of Admiral Dewey
now appearing in HEARST'S
MAGAZINE has attracted atten
tion all over the country.
The following excerpts from
HEARST'S MAGAZINE FOR
AUGUST describe the Battle of
New Orleans:
IN the late seventies, when there
seemed no hope of ever having a
modern navy and many officers
were talking of voluntary retirement, I
always answered:
“Not until the law makes me. While
you are on the active list there is a
chance for action."
Farragut has always been my ideal
of the naval officer, urbane, decisive.
Indomitable. Whenever I have been in
a difficult situation or in the midst of
such a confusion of details that the
simple and right thing to do seemed
hazy. I have often asked myself, "What
would Farragut do?” In the course of
the preparations for Manila bay I often
asked myself this question, and I con
fess that I was thinking of him the
night that we entered the bay and with
the conviction that I was doing pre
cisely what he would have done. Val
uable as the training of Annapolis was.
it was poor schooling beside that of
serving under Farragut in time of war.
Commander Melancthon Smith suc
ceeded Captain Selfridge in command
of the Mississippi, before the advance
on Orleans. By this timp the six
officers who were senior to me had all
gone to other ships, thanks to the wide
spread demand with the increase of out
navy. With their departure, I ranked
next to the captain and became execu
tive officer.
I was very young for the post, but
fortunately looked rather old for my
years. Indeed. I remember being asked
one day, when there was a question
about seniority for a cotlrt martial,
whethei or not 1 was older than an
other lieutenant, who was. in fact, my
senior by ten years. When Farragut
explained to Captain Smith that there
was complaint on the part of some of
ficers on the navy list about my hoi.ling
a position higher than theirs, the cap
tain said:
“Dewey is doing all right. I don't
want a stranger here."
Dewey Allowed to Stay.
Farragut, who was fond -of the cap
tain, answered:
"Then we will let him stay."
For many trying months I was about
as close to Smith officially as it Is pos
sible for one man to be to another, and
I learned to know and enjoy al! his
'qualities. He was a pronounced char
acter, absolutely fearless, with some
thing of Farragut's grim determination
in the midst of battle. He smoked con
tinually, lighting one ciga> with the
butt of another, whether shells were
bursting around him or he was loung
ing on deck.
In action he became most energetic,
but in the periods between action he
was inclined to leave all detail to his
executive.
Every day gained was vital to Far
ragut.
Farragut's Queer Fleet.
First, he had the big screw sloops
Hartford, Pensacola. Richmond and
Brooklyn; then the side-wheeler Mis
sissippi, the screw corvettes Oneida
Veruna and Iroquois; nine screw gun
boats of 500 tons, which were known
as the “nintey-day gunboats," because
with characteristic American enter
prise in a crisis, they had been turned
out by our shipyards in ninety days.
In addition was the mortar flotilla, not
to mention ferryboats and many other
craft that did service of one sort or
another.
There was hardly a night that the
flagship did not signal to send boats to
tow fire rafts. These fire rafts were
one of the pleasantries of the enemy in
trying our nerves. In connection with
the luminous flight of the mortars
they offered us quite all the spectacular
display that we were . able to appre
ciate.
A fire raft floating down with the
current at five knots an hour, flaming
high with its tar and resin, would il
luminate the river from bank to bank,
and if it could have rested alongside a
ship for even a few minutes it must
inevitably have set the ship on fire.
Launches used to throw grapnels into
the rafts and other boats forming line
would tow them ashore, where they
would burn themselves out.
t in the night of the 20tb of April oc
curred one of those brilliant exploits of
daring courage so common in the Civil
war that they became merely iryfldents
of its progress. Any one of them in a
smaller war, when public attention
is not diverted over a vast scene of ac
tivity, would have woon permanent
fame. Lieutenant Caldwell, command
ing one of the ninety-day gunboats, the
Itasca, and Lieutenant Crosby, com
manding another, the Pfnola, under
took tile duty of cutting the obstruc
tion across the river above the forts.
Nine Shells at Once
During a heavy bombardment from
the mortars they slipped up stream un
der cover of Hie bank. At times, so
rapid were Porter's gunners In their
work that there were nine shells in the
air at once.
About midnight on April 223 came
the signal for which we were all wait
ing. two red lights at the peak of the
flagship. It meant that the fleet was
to get under way. We were ready and
eager tor tin- test after tip- long strain
of preparation. In which nil manner of
Ingenious sugg- stjons had been applied
In order that tin fleet might get io
the forts with as Utile damage as pun-
,i,l. < itir hulls had beep daubed with
, ivei mud in older to make them has
1,,, m the darhm ''apt.tin Alden,
of (Ip Itlehmoild. b..d tile Idea, which
w ik< >l out ixi vbi iiily, ot lutvtiig tin.
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Admiral This
Farragut \ X—x / /<?
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Hartford, , ° ne
Flagship, Afanv
intf.e Interest- !
Rattle M
of I jKSKR Illustra-
ted
Orleans. 7 Articles
Farragut VVAf’c/i
says \ Are
“ D " u,ey - \
K “ s ' the
Alwa y s \ August
My Ideal Number
of a 17 > I J of
Naval Hearst’s
' s, »
Officer.” ' ■;??] Magazine
decks around the guns whitewashed. so
that the implements required in work
ing the guns could be easily identified
by the gunners as they picked them up
for use.
To protect vital parts of the ships
from the impact of projectiles chain
cables were secured to the ship's sides.
As the Mississippi was a side-wheeler,
ate towed our cables in the coal bunk
ers between the wheels and the boilers
and machinery.
Her position in the advance was di
rectly astern of the Pensacola in the
first division, under Captain Bailey,
while Farragut, with the Hartford, led
the second division. Our orders were
to keep in column, maintaining our
proper distances.
On the Hurricane Deck.
Captain Smith of the Mississippi had
opposed trying to make the passage in
the night.
“I can not see in the night,” he de
clared, with characteristic brevity. "1
am going to leave that .to you, Dewey.
You have younger eyes."
He took charge of the battery, while
I took up my post on the hurricane
deck from which we handled the ship.
Fora man of 24 I was having my share
of responsibility. I was also to have
my baptism of fire.
Adapting our speed to that of the
Pensacola, which was without lights,
as all the vessels were, we steamed
ahead, while the booming of the howit
zers and the swish of their shells
through the air made music for our
progress.
Just as the Pensacola drew abreast
of the forts the enemy discovered her
and opened fire. We were so near the
forts that we could hear the commands
of the officers. The Pensacola stopped
and fired both broadsides, which at first
seemed to demoralize the enemy.
A second time the Pensacola stopped
and discharged broadsides; and it was
soon evident from the fact that the
forts kept on tiring that although the
mortars might reduce the fire from the
forts, they could by no means silence
them: nor could the P nsacola, which
had tlie heaviest armament of an) of
our ships, silence them except for a
brief interval during the effect of her
broadside. Therefore, all the ships, in
order to get by, must run the gauntlet
of a heav) fire.
Why Pensacola Stopped.
It was most puzzling to rne why the
Pensacola had stopped, in view of the
orders to steam past without d< lay.
Hither she could not resist pausing to
engag" the forts, or else there was
something wrong with her engines Ths
latter. I believe, was the real reason.
Al all events ahe did stop twice, which
me,tot that we also had Io stop The
Mississippi herself wa.- ,'lt< id) midi r
lit. mid reluming it, am! w title my at
tiiittun wum iintind in tijing to keep
THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS. MONDAY, AUGUST 26. 1912.
FEATURES IN HEARST'S MAGAZINE FOR AUGLST
Aiiiony the interestin'*'articles in Hearst's Magazine for Au
gusl now on sale ai the news stands—are: “Startling Rev
elations in Standard Oil Letters,“ “The Autobiography of Ad
miral Dewey," "The Inside of the Cup,’ - by Winston Church
ill: "Are We Better or .Worse Than are the Age Ancients?’’ by
Gugliemo Ferrero: "’America's Chance in Xew China.” by Dr.
Wu Ting-fang; “The Story of George Helm.” by David Gra
ham Phillips; “Captain Kidd on Wall Street,” by George Ran
dolph Chester: ”My Fatten’ (W. T. Stead 1 ami Spiritual
ism.” by Estelle W. Stead, and reviews of Science, Art. Fi- 1
nance and Polities by the ablest writers.
AUGUST NUMBER NOW ON SALE AT NEWS STANDS
astern of the Pensacola, 1 received
warning of an attack from another
quarter.
Farragut had assigned to us Mr.
Wand, an artist for an illustrated week
ly. When he had asked for the best
position from which to witness the
spectacle, Captain Smith advised the
foretop, where we had a *24-pound
howitzer. Waud was an observant as
well as a gallant man, and from the
foretop he could see everything that
was taking place, even better than we
could from the hurricane deck.
"Here is a queer looking customer
on our port bow - ," he called to me.
“On the Port Bow!”
Hooking in the direction which he
indicated, I saw what appeared like the
back of an enormous turtle painted
lead color, which 1 identified as the ram
Manassas, which had driven the fed
eral ships from the mouth of the river
the previous autumn, in the action
called "Pope's Kim.” She was rebuilt
entirely for the purpose of ramming,
and if she were able to delive: a full
blow in a vital spot she was capable of
disabling any .-Hip in the fleet.
'l'lie darkness and the contusion per
fectly favored the role for which she
was designed. By prompt action we
might put a dangerous opponent out of
commission before she had done any
damage There was no time hi which
to ask the advice of the captain, who
was busy with the battery below. I
called to Htarboard the helm and turn
ed the Mississippi's how toward the
Manassa-, with the intention of run
ning her down, being confident that out
superior tonnage must sink her if we
struck her fairly
But A. F Warley her commander, a
former otflcei of our navy, was too
quick lor us His last servici had been
on the Mississippi In a round-the
world cruise He appreciated hei im
mobility tn i oinpailson with lite mo-
Itu 111 y ol I) I- own little ci a It. and sh«s r
|«d oil to avoid us. But then, sheering
i it, he man.iged to idilkt us a gluiinng
I
•blow just abaft the port paddle wheel.
It was the sturdy construction of the
Mississippi that saved us from serious
damage.
A Cdose Call.
Throughout the passage of the forts
fire rafts were corning down stream to
add to the picturesqueness of the lurid
scene and the difficulty of keeping our
course. One of these rafts nearly
brought the career of Farragut's flag
ship to a close. It was pushed by a
little 35-ton tug called the Mosher,
manned by a dozen men under the com
mand of a man named Sherman. To
him belongs the credit of one of the
most desperate strokes of heroism I
have ever known. It is an example of
how the South, with its limited re
sources, was able to maintain Its gal
lant struggle for four years against
great odds.
His tug had no guns and no armor.
In the face of certain destruction from
the guns of the Hartford, he pushed
the raft against the Hartford's side
, The Mosher s captain and crew all lost
their lives, as far as is known, hut they
had the satisfaction of seeing Hames
darting up the Hartford rigging and
bursting through the jiorts. width,
thanks to the discipline of her crew,
, were quem hed. But though lie had lost
bls flagship, Farragut would two gone
past th. forts with what remained of
1 his fleet. We may be sure of that.
Out of Range of the Forts.
In passing the forts, the Mfskissippl
■ had fired grape and five-second shell
from alternate guns. I was surprised |
to see how well the forts stood our
pounding and also how well we stood
theirs Though the Mississippi had
been hit a number of times, our loss
had been trifling, two killed and a few
1 wounded
1 The business of taking rare of the
other vessels of the i’onfederjvte rlvei
defense squadron fell to the other ves.
.<■ of out tha t The Mississippi had an
individual score to smile Hawn was
: htcaking and we wet. just making out
: th< . nips around u , off the qustantint
station, when we sighted that persis
tent ram Manassas coming up astern
in her effort to attack the fleet a sec
ond time. The work of the battery be
ing over, Captain Smith was on the
hurricane deck with me.
While every minute was valuable,
the Hartford, smoke-blackened from the
fire which the fire-craft had. caused,
and looking a veritable battle-stained
and triumphant veteran of war, came
steaming by. Farragut was in her rig
ging. his face eager with victory in the
morning light and his eyes snapping.
“Run down the ram!” be called.
I shall never forget that glimpse of
him. He was a very urbane man, but
it was plain that if we did not run the
Manassas down, and promptly, he
would not think well of us. I never
saw Captain Smith happier than he
was over this opportunity. He was a
b«rn fighter.
"Can you turn the ship?" he asked
me.
I did not know whether I could turn
her or not. but I knew that either I was
going to do so or else run her aground.
Indeed, the Mississippi had not yet
made a turn in the narrow part of the
river, and it was a question if she
could turn under her own steam, with
out assistance. But'with so strong an
incentive at the first trial we succeeded
beautifully.
When Warley saw us coming he di.l
not attempt to ram. He realized that
the momentum of his 384 tons was no
match for our 1,692 tons w hen we were
coming straight for him. As the Mis
sissippi bore down on him. he dodged
ouix blow and drove the nose of the
Manassas into the bank. We fired two
broadsides that wrecked her. Her crew
began crawling ashore over her bows
and Captain Smith immediately sent a
boat in charge of an officer to board
and report her condition. He returned
with Walley's signal book and diary,
to say that the outboard delivery pipes
had been cut and that the Manassas
.wa.< sinking by the stern.
The Mississippi. proceeding up
stream, found the fleet anchored seven
miles above the forts at quarantine,
and.'as w e steamed among the vessels,
all the crews broke into hearty cheers
for us over the "news that we had
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SEMI-ANNUAL STATEMENT
For the six months ending June 30, 1912, of the condition of the
National Life Insurance Co. of the U. S. of America
OF CHICAGO,
Organized under the laws of the state of Illinois, made to the governor of
the state of Georgia, in pursuance to the laws of said state.
Principal office, 29 South LaSalle St.
I. CAPITAL STOCK.
Amount of capital stocks 500,000.00
Amount of capital stock paid up in cash... 500,000.00
11. ASSETS.
Gr, < a55et5512,093,050.65
Deduct assets not admitted 122,694.48
»
Admitted assets ..$11,970,356.17
111. LIABILITIES.
i Tola! liabilitiessll,97o,3s6.l7
IV. INCOME DURING THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE YEAR 1912.
Total*incomes 4.662,919.87
V. DISBURSEMENTS DURING THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE
YEAR 1912.
Total disbursements .. $ 2,463,230.91
Greatest amount insured in any one risks 20,000.00
Total amount of insurance outstanding79/328,041.06
A copy of the ai t of incorporation, duly certified, Ts of file in the office of
the insurance < ommissioner.
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Personally appeared before the undersigned, A. M Johnson, who, being
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brought. It was then that we saw our
A'aruna. a screw corvette of 1,300 tons,
sunk to her top-gallant forecastle. But
she was the fleet’s only loss.
From the time that the two red
lights had given the signal from the
flagship to get under way until we were
at quarantine only five hours had
elapsed.
I he fleet steamed from the quaran
tine station to a point about fifteen
miles below New Orleans, where it
anchored for the night. Wearv as we
were, there was very little sleep for
any one, as fire-rafts and burning ships
were drifting past us all night.
So far as we knew, the rest of the
journey up to New Orleans would be
without obstacles and in the nature of
a parade. The next morning we were
under way early, with everybody eager
for a first sight of the city whose loca
tion we knew by the smoke rising from
the Confederate storehouses and ship
ping which had been set on tire. Our
purser, an elderly man whose place in
battle was v below looking after the
wounded, was standing beside me on
tiie hurricane deck when suddenly bat
tel ies opened fire from both banks of
the river at the ships ahead.
"Oh. that rash man Farragut!" he
exclaimed. "Here we are at it again!"
But the opposition from the batteries
Chalmette and McGehee was not for
midable.
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