Dewey, George, 1837-1917

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-02-27

Creator(s)

Dewey, George, 1837-1917

Recipient

Metcalf, Victor Howard, 1853-1936

Language

English

Admiral Dewey writes to President Roosevelt about the ineffectiveness of armored cruisers. Dewey says that while there are some specific uses for armored cruisers, generally either an unarmored cruiser or a battleship is a preferable choice. The General Board does not recommend building any armored cruisers.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-15

Creator(s)

Dewey, George, 1837-1917

Admiral of the Navy Dewey apologizes to President Roosevelt, as he will be unable to wish Roosevelt a happy New Year in person, as he is still suffering from sciatic pain. Nevertheless, he assures Roosevelt of his steadfast affection, and hopes that “every blessing and happiness may come to you and yours.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-31

Creator(s)

Dewey, George, 1837-1917

Admiral Dewey was so touched by President Roosevelt’s commendations that he shared the letter with some friends.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-05-02

Creator(s)

Dewey, George, 1837-1917

Admiral Dewey, reporting as senior member of the Joint Board, sends Secretary of the Navy Metcalf a report detailing the development of thinking regarding a proposed naval base at Subig bay in the Philippines. While this site was initially considered ideal from a purely naval perspective, this conclusion was later revised, due to increased input from army officers regarding the possibility of defending the site from landward invasions, as well as events during the Russo-Japanese War highlighting new factors that had to be taken into consideration. These developments resulted in the recent recommendation of Manila Bay as the more suitable site for a naval base.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-05

Creator(s)

Dewey, George, 1837-1917

Admiral Dewey notifies Secretary of War Taft of the resolutions of the Joint Board pertaining to the question of whether the battle fleet should be retained in the Pacific Ocean pending the completion of coastal defenses in the region.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-02-21

Creator(s)

Dewey, George, 1837-1917

Admiral George Dewey writes to Secretary of War Taft to report on a meeting of the Joint Board discussing the defenses of Puget Sound. The meeting discussed several alleged deficiencies in the defense that had been raised by United States Representative William E. Humphrey of Washington State. Dewey reviews these charges, as well as general information about Puget Sound and the measures already taken for its defense. The Board concludes that once presently-planned changes to the defenses of Puget Sound are completed, they will be sufficient with assistance from the Navy, but at present they are not sufficient. Dewey outlines several steps that the board recommends.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-02-20

Creator(s)

Dewey, George, 1837-1917

Admiral Dewey, President of the General Board of the Department of the Navy, provides a response for Secretary of the Navy Metcalf regarding President Roosevelt’s questions about the choice of Subig Bay as a naval base in the Philippines. Subig Bay had previously been evaluated by the General Board and selected as a better site for the construction of a naval base than Manila Bay. The General Board acknowledges the Army’s point that Subig Bay would be difficult to defend from the land side, and asks that the Army study the issue further with regard to plans for permanent fortifications.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-02-18

Creator(s)

Dewey, George, 1837-1917

Admiral George Dewey reports to Secretary of War Taft on a meeting of the Joint Board regarding the steps the United States should take in the event of a war between the United States and Japan becoming imminent. Because of the strength of Japan in the Pacific Ocean, the United States would have to be on the defensive there until reinforcements could be sent from the Atlantic. The Board recommends specific actions the United States should take immediately, moving coal, equipment, and forces to the Philippines, to be better prepared.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-06-18

Creator(s)

Dewey, George, 1837-1917

Admiral George Dewey is pleased to inform Assistant Secretary Truman H. Newberry that the General Board has already studied the situation and devised a plan that could enable the United States Navy to command the sea in eastern waters in ninety days after their departure.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-10-29

Creator(s)

Dewey, George, 1837-1917

Admiral George Dewey sends to Secretary Charles J. Bonaparte a report of United States Navy resources and recommendations from the General Board for the coming year. Dewey feels that, for the foreseeable future, the Navy must continue laying down two battleships per year, and he provides comparisons of the ships both in use and under construction of the principal powers: England, France, Germany, and Japan. In conclusion, he outlines the desired tactical qualities of each type of ship discussed in the report, which includes battleships, scouts, motor ship’s torpedo boats, Helena-type gunboats, small Philippines gunboats, shallow draft river gunboats, and ammunition vessels.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-10-02

Creator(s)

Dewey, George, 1837-1917

Admiral Dewey encloses a report from the General Board of the Navy regarding ammunition supply in wartime, a subject which has never been presented to the Joint Army and Navy Board.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-02-08

Creator(s)

Dewey, George, 1837-1917

Admiral Dewey has read John W. Vrooman’s address at the Founders and Patriots meeting, which cleared up for Dewey the missed junction of American and British troops from John Burgoyne and Barry St. Leger’s regiments during the Saratoga Campaign of 1777. Dewey hopes Vrooman might one day also write about French Admiral François Joseph Paul de Grasse’s action that lead to the British surrender at Yorktown, Virginia. Dewey and his wife Mildred McLean Dewey look forward to the visit of Vrooman and his wife, Anna Ford Vrooman.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-07-29

Creator(s)

Dewey, George, 1837-1917

George Dewey thanks Theodore Roosevelt for roses sent in commemoration of Manila Bay.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-05-02

Creator(s)

Dewey, George, 1837-1917

Admiral Dewey presents recommendations to diminish the rapid deterioration of heavy guns of high power.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-07-26

Creator(s)

Dewey, George, 1837-1917

Admiral Dewey writes to Secretary of the Navy Morton to respond to a proposition from Rear Admiral Melville. Dewey responds that “Almirante Bay and Chiriqui Lagoon on the Caribbean side and the Pearl Islands on the Pacific side are the appropriate and necessary bases for the defense of the Panama Canal.” He also notes that the Dutch Island of Curaco would not be of any value to the United States.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-29

Creator(s)

Dewey, George, 1837-1917

Admiral Dewey writes to thank President and First Lady Roosevelt for the flowers and note of congratulation on his fiftieth anniversary with the Navy.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-24

Creator(s)

Dewey, George, 1837-1917

Admiral Dewey responds to General Wood’s thoughts on naval strategies, including Wood’s argument that Manila Bay should be the site for the principle naval base in the Philippines. It is the opinion of Dewey and the General Board of the Navy Department that the best place for this base is Subig Bay and that Manila Bay would be one of the worst areas to choose. He notes that “the fundamental and conclusive reason in favor of Subig Bay and against Manila Bay is the fallacy of concentrating the means of the mobile naval defense at the centre of attack, — as if a boxer should try to defend himself by holding his fists against his own breast.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-04

Creator(s)

Dewey, George, 1837-1917

Admiral Dewey writes to Secretary of the Navy Metcalf on behalf of the Joint Board in response to President Roosevelt’s direction that they present a plan regarding fortification in Hawaii. The Joint Board believes that both the Army and Navy have appropriately considered the factors involved with constructing and fortifying a naval station in Hawaii, and have come to the conclusion that the selection of Pearl Harbor as the site of construction is justified. Dewey recounts the factors that were considered both in affirming the need for a naval base in the Pacific Ocean, as well as in the selection of Pearl Harbor as the site. Dewey believes that Honolulu Harbor should be protected as well.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-05

Creator(s)

Dewey, George, 1837-1917

George Dewey sends a check for $25.00 in subscription to the athletic prize fund of Spanish War Veterans’ Athletic Association. Dewey suggests Eugene Griffin use the funds to purchase a “Dewey Cup.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-11-20

Creator(s)

Dewey, George, 1837-1917