George Dewey was Admiral of the Navy, the only person in United States history to have attained that rank. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish–American War, with the loss of only a single crewman on the American side.
Dewey in 1899
Image: George Dewey signature
Admiral Dewey as he appears at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.
George Dewey
The Battle of Manila Bay, also known as the Battle of Cavite, took place on 1 May 1898, during the Spanish–American War. The American Asiatic Squadron under Commodore George Dewey engaged and destroyed the Spanish Pacific Squadron under Contraalmirante Patricio Montojo. The battle took place in Manila Bay in the Philippines, and was the first major engagement of the Spanish–American War. The battle was one of the most decisive naval battles in history and marked the end of the Spanish colonial period in Philippine history.
Battle of Manila Bay, 1 May 1898, Fred S. Cozzens
The Battle of Manila Bay, depicted in a lithograph by Butler, Thomas & Company, 1899
"Battle of Manila Bay", painting by W. G. Wood, circa 1898. Reina Cristina (foreground) in action against Dewey's squadron (right).
Batalla de Cavite, painted by Ildefonso Sanz Doménech, depicting the Spanish squadron