A CARTOONIST contemporary of the famous Ripley recently made the statement that George Dewey was the only man to hold the rank of admiral of the Navy. Immediately there was a storm of denial. Hadn’t Farragut and Porter also been admirals? That was the gist of most of the thought on the matter. Nor was the subject confined to civilians. Many of the midshipmen and quite a few of the officers believed the cartoonist to be in error. Now we of the Navy should know about the topic and not hazard a guess.
In the light of our own Gallipoli we can more readily appreciate the greatness and boldness that was Farragut’s when he fought at Mobile Bay. This battle and New Orleans endeared David Porter’s foster son to the American people. At that time, as at this, we were a hero-loving public. Today we make a daring and skilled aviator a rear admiral. Yesterday there was no such office. For David Glasgow Farragut the rank was created. The year 1864 brought the higher and newer office of vice admiral. And two years later found him our first admiral with permanent rank.
The second recipient of the honor was Farragut’s foster brother and the first president of the Naval Institute, David Dixon Porter. No midshipman of any day, past or present, can forget the debt we owe to Porter for his introduction of baseball, rowing, and boxing. But it was his service on the Mississippi that won him his place with the people and permitted that he succeed to the high office of Farragut. However, when, on February 13, 1891, Admiral Porter died, the grade of admiral ceased to exist as the grade of vice admiral had so ceased the year before on the death of Stephen C. Rowan. Thus it happened that there was no office of admiral to give to Dewey.
By presidential order, relying on a forgotten statute, Dewey was made rear admiral. Congress soon followed suit and declared him rear admiral by act. But other men had been rear admirals and there was only one Dewey. Something greater had to be done. Accordingly, Congress ignored such grades as vice admiral and admiral. By Act of March 2, 1899, the hero of Manila Bay was made admiral of the Navy, a rank equal to the admiral of the fleet in the British Navy—such office to cease upon the death or voluntary retirement of the incumbent. Because the list of officers in the pay bill made no provision for admiral of the Navy, a rider was attached to the appropriation bill of March 3, 1899, making the office and its pay a surety.
Thus it is that we find that the three admirals we have always known never really existed. Farragut and Porter held the permanent rank; but Dewey never did. To him a special grade was given.
To complete the matter, we must here state the position of the four admirals and two vice admirals at present holding those titles. The Navy knows this part of the subject; but few others do. These officers hold the ranks assigned only during their incumbency of certain offices. These offices are as follows: admirals: Chief of Naval Operations; Commander in Chief, United States Fleet; Commander in Chief, Battle Fleet; and Commander in Chief, Asiatic Fleet; vice admirals: Commander, Scouting Fleet; and Commander, Battleship Divisions, Battle Fleet. While on these tours of duty, these officers receive the honors due the offices mentioned; but on the culmination of their duties they revert to the rank previously held. This is possible because at no time did they change their grade and at no time did they have the grade of admiral or vice admiral. Their sole perquisites were the duties, rank, and allowances of those offices, and these passed, when the officer was relieved.