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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Commodore George Dewey, Commander, Asiatic Station, to Secretary of the Navy John D. Long

United States Naval Force on Asiatic Station.

FLAGSHIP OLYMPIA,

HONGKONG,

MARCH 1, 1898.

Sir:

     1.   I have the honor to report the following distribution and employment of the vessels attached to the Squadron under my command for the month of February, 1898.

     2.   On February 3d, I called officially on the U.S.Minister at Tokio1 and on the 4th, was received in audience by the Emperor and Empress of Japan,2 accompanied by the Commanding Officer of the OLYMPIA3 and my staff. The Minister returned my call on the 8th and received the usual honors.

     3.   The OLYMPIA left Yokohama on February 11th and arrived at Hong Kong on the 17th. On the following day I received your telegram announcing the MAINE disaster. All the men-of-war in harbor joined in half-masting colors and the British Commander-in-Chief,4 Russian Commander-in-Chief and Russian Rear Admiral Second-in-Command5 sent telegrams of condolence. The Governor of Hong Kong6 sent a letter of condolence.

     4.   The BOSTON remained at Chemulpo7 until February 28th, when in obedience to your telegraphic orders of the 26th, she left for this port.8

     5.   The RALEIGH arrived at Singapore on February 6, left there on the 10th and arrived at Hong Kong on the 18th.

     6.   The MONOCACY has remained at Shanghai.

     7.   The CONCORD arrived at Yokohama on February 9th, left on the 19th for Chemulpo to relieve the BOSTON, arrived there on the 26th, and left for this port on the 28th in obedience to the orders above referred to.

     8.   The PETREL left Canton9 on February 14th and arrived here on the same day. On the 20th and 21st, I inspected her.

     9.   The health of the Squadron is good.

              Very Respectfully, your obedient servant,

          George Dewey                         

Commodore, U.S. Navy                 

Commanding U.S.Naval Force on Asiatic Station. 

Source Note: CyS, DNA, AFNRC, M625, roll 362. Addressed below closed: “The Secretary of the Navy,/Washington, D.C./(Bureau of Navigation.).” Document reference: “No.78-D.” Copy sent to the Bureau of Navigation. Document on, “United States Naval Force on Asiatic Station.” stationary.

Footnote 1: United States Minister at Tokyo Alfred E. Buck.

Footnote 2: Emperor Mutsuhito and his wife Masako Ichijo. Mutsuhito was later given the title Meiji the Great.

Footnote 3: Capt. Charles V. Gridley.

Footnote 4: Vice-Admiral Sir Edward H. Seymour.

Footnote 5: Vice-Adm. Fyodor Vasilyevich Dubasov.

Footnote 6: Governor General Wilson Black. Hong Kong was a British colony in 1898.

Footnote 7: Chemulpo is modern day Incheon, Korea.

Footnote 8: This is in reference to the order for Dewey to collect the Asiatic Squadron at Hong Kong. See: Roosevelt to Dewey, 26 February 1898.

Footnote 9: Canton is modern day Guangzhou, China.

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