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(I would like to note that while I was working on this paper, I
researched in the Main and Manuscript divisions of the Library of
Congress.)
What can one say about Dudley Newcomb Carpenter, whom one newspaper
called “one of the finest looking, most sociable and brightest officers
of his grade in the navy”? [1] Not much, really. I searched the
Internet with Google and perused the databases on ALADIN, entering
every iteration of Carpenter’s name I could imagine, but I still could
not find a lot beyond a rough summary of his life. He entered this
world on June 28, 1874, in Kittery, Maine, [2] and left it on March 26,
1955, in Bremerton, Washington. After graduating from Harvard Medical
School, Carpenter worked as a surgeon in the United States Navy, where
he eventually achieved the rank of captain. [3] During his naval
career, Carpenter participated in the Spanish-American War of 1898, [4]
helped establish hospitals at such locations as Bas Obispo, Mexico;
Bremerton, Washington; and Baguio, Philippines; he also served as the
Reserve Fleet surgeon in the 1910’s, commanded the Division of Planning
and Publication at the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery from 1923 to
1927, and sat on the Medical Examining and Retiring Board during the
Second World War. Carpenter apparently wrote pieces for the Naval
Medical Bulletin, [5] though I could not find any of them. [6]
Fortunately, Carpenter kept a journal of one of his stints, from May
18, 1897 to August 15, 1898 aboard the USS Raleigh, which along with
the letters and clippings that accompany it in his collection at the
Library of Congress, provides the only detail about Carpenter’s life
available. In his journal, Carpenter describes such locations as Italy,
Northern Africa, the Middle East, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Hong Kong,
Singapore, and the Philippines, where Carpenter fought in the Battle of
Manila Bay. [7] The section of the journal in which the Battle rages
stimulates the most excitement, so that portion, in addition to
Carpenter’s letters about the Battle, was the focus of my research.
Before I recount Carpenter’s experiences during the Battle, I should
provide some details about the Battle itself. It took place on May 1,
1898, a few days after the United States had declared war on Spain. An
American naval fleet—Commodore George Dewey’s [8] Asiatic Squadron [9]
—steamed into Manila Bay [10] hoping to find and destroy the Spanish
Navy’s Pacific fleet, [11] under the command of Spanish Admiral
Patricio Montojo y Pasarón, [12] thus eliminating any threat it might
pose to America’s West Coast. Even though Dewey’s ships lacked full
stocks of ammunition, they annihilated the Spanish flotilla at Cavite,
[13] experiencing no casualties themselves while inflicting 381 deaths
and injuries on their Spanish counterparts. After the Battle of Manila
Bay, Spanish naval power in the Pacific vanished. [14]
According to Carpenter, the Raleigh received an official telegram of
the war declaration on Tuesday, April 26, 1898. [15] The Raleigh, which
had anchored in Hong Kong, then departed for Mirs Bay, a short distance
away, alongside the Olympia and the Baltimore, with British sailors
cheering on the Americans from the Hong Kong shore. [16] After
rendezvousing with the Asiatic Squadron inside Mirs Bay, the Raleigh
sat with the rest of the fleet until 2 PM Wednesday. While the ships
were waiting, Carpenter writes, “Our one thought is on Manilla [sic].”
The Asiatic Squadron could not head for Manila before Wednesday because
it had to wait for the American consul from Manila, who had difficulty
leaving the city because of “rough seas.” [17] (Engine trouble on the
Raleigh, because a “careless oiler” had damaged the port circulating
pump, [18] had also threatened to delay the Squadron, but the ship’s
engineers had repaired the pump 12 hours before the consul arrived.)
With the consul safely in American hands, Dewey’s fleet stormed towards
Bolinoin [19] at eight knots. [20]
The consul, though, provided one of the ship captains with intelligence
that convinced the fleet commanders to go straight to Manila Bay. [21]
Carpenter describes the three-day journey as “auspicious,” with “lovely
cool days and beautiful moonlight [sic] nights.” The ocean was so calm
Carpenter hardly knew he was afloat. Drills for general quarters, fire,
and collision kept the crew prepared for combat, and target practice
kept the gunners’ eyes sharp. During both day and night, the fleet
practiced signaling each other, with red and white flashes on the
foremasts of various ships. [22]
Before the Asiatic Squadron attacked the Spanish fleet, the Boston and
the Concord searched Subic Bay [23] for Spanish gunboats. After those
two ships found the Bay empty, the whole fleet anchored there;
Carpenter had expected the fleet to stay the night, but a council of
war among the fleet commanders decided not to wait for dawn. To make
itself harder to see in the darkness, the Raleigh extinguished all of
its running lights but for a shielded one on its rear, as did the other
ships. Thusly prepared, the Squadron moved to commence its assault. [24]
As the ships slid into Manila Bay, bright bolts of lightning pierced
their shroud of darkness. [25] Spanish forts launched torpedoes at the
Americans, all of which the Americans avoided. [26] Soon afterwards,
the crews saw flashes on the northern shore, after which a “small black
rock,” which was really a Spanish fort, lobbed a shell with a “shrill,
curdling whirr” at the Raleigh as it passed. The Raleigh gave its
opinion of that with its five-inch guns, firing the introductory
American shots of the Battle of Manila Bay. The fort continued its
assault, until the Boston eliminated its artillery battery. With that
peril overcome, the fleet sailed merrily up the Bay.
Even though the crew knew a more fierce battle with the Spanish fleet
was coming, one would not have known it by observing their behavior,
writes Carpenter. He says they could have been going to a “festive
occasion, from their jokes and general good spirits.” Below decks on
the Raleigh, the crew even danced to an accordion and a guitar. This
continued until the dawn of May 1, 1898, which brought the Battle
proper in its wake. [27]
In the light of early morning, the Americans could see the Spanish
ships waiting for them at Cavite. The Americans charged at the Spanish
without fear, paying no heed to the Spanish shells that were falling
around them but not hitting them. [28] Withholding their response, the
American ships drew to within 4,000 yards of the Spanish, at which
point the Olympia, leading the American attack, [29] let loose with its
eight-inch guns. The firing accelerated from both sides, orchestrating
a cacophony of violence with “the whirr of shells” and “the whiz of
shrapnel.” [30] The Americans circled around, and in what Carpenter
calls “a stirring sight,” they pummeled the Spanish with the eight-inch
guns of the Olympia and the Baltimore and the six-inch guns of the
Raleigh. Fire started to ravage the Castilla, and the Reina Christina
began to sink. [31]
Some Spanish torpedo boats, cloaking themselves with the smoke of the
burning ships, tried to assail the Americans by surprise, but the
Americans forced them to withdraw; the torpedo boats only tried again
by going along the shoreline. They did not even get to retreat that
time, “as one doubled like a jackknife” after a shell hit it, and its
partner fled to the beach and hemorrhaged its crew, who “scampered like
scared rabbits over the embankment.” The defeat of the torpedo boats
terminated Spanish attempts to sink the American fleet with torpedoes.
[32]
By that period of the Battle of Manila Bay, the Americans had
experienced no significant casualties: only six sailors on the
Baltimore had suffered injury. Carpenter writes that at this time, 7:45
AM, the Americans pulled back in order to facilitate a meeting of the
fleet commanders and to have breakfast. [33] As the captains were
discussing the Battle, “We cheered each other while the bands of the
Baltimore and the Olympia played.” Once the meeting and the breakfast
concluded, the Americans, fully refreshed after a good rest, rejoined
the Battle at 11 AM, with the Baltimore in front.
This was when the Americans knew they had achieved victory. The
Castilla and the Reina Christina sat under blankets of fire, and the
only other Spanish ship in sight was the Don Antonio de Ulloa.
Carpenter says the most exciting part of the Battle then took place.
The Baltimore approached the shore, [34] and she swept along the whole
coast, firing “shot after shot” at Spanish artillery batteries as they
revealed themselves, churning up large billows of dust that showed
where the Baltimore had directed her fury. The Baltimore then came upon
a fort with two water batteries in front of it.
The Baltimore rammed the batteries, fiercely pushing away whatever was in her path. [35]
With the batteries annihilated, the Olympia, the Boston, and the
Raleigh bombarded the Spanish arsenal at Cavite. They also sank the Don
Antonio de Ulloa, [36] “which defiantly waved the Spanish flag.”
Carpenter gives the crew of the Don Antonio credit by recording they
“stood up nobly,” [37] even though their ship went down in 15 minutes.
[38]
Meanwhile, the Concord stalked a merchantman that attempted to claim
English affiliation, but the captain of the Concord “decided that as
they were good Spaniards in the morning they had better be so all day.”
After allowing the merchantman a little while to reach the shore, and
watching that time expire, the Concord’s captain ordered his crew to
shell the merchantman, [39] which the Raleigh observed flaming as it
passed the crippled merchantman on its way to the city of Manila itself.
The Americans thought the city of Manila would wage yet more battle
against them, as it had constantly shelled the American fleet before
and after breakfast. Manila instead erected the white flag of peace,
[40] and promised not to attack unless the Americans fired first, so
the Americans anchored nearby, amongst a fleet of sailing vessels. [41]
The Battle of Manila Bay was over, and the Americans had won. [42] The
ships of the Spanish Navy’s Pacific fleet were lying either in American
hands or at the bottom of the Bay. [43] One hundred twenty men perished
on the Castilla and fifty-six died on the Reina Christina, and eighty
men on the latter ship had wounds. Of the Spanish, Carpenter says they
demonstrated admirable courage and possessed excellent weapons, but
“they could not shoot straight” with them.
During the Battle, only one American died: an engineer on the McCulloch
from heat exhaustion. As an assistant surgeon, Carpenter had little to
do but rescue four firemen and take them to sickbay. This afforded
Carpenter the opportunity to witness almost the entire Battle, during
which he contributed to the Reina Christina’s death by shooting it a
few times with a six-pounder. He also observed the activities of the
normal gunners, such as “Old Rodman,” who would say before firing on
the Spanish, “Farewell, vain ship.” [44]
After reading some of Carpenter’s journal and letters, I have learned
much about the Battle of Manila Bay. Before doing this research
project, I knew only that the Americans had shattered Spanish Pacific
naval power during the Battle; I remained ignorant of most of the
details. Now, however, I can play the Battle in my mind, from the
“small black rock” treacherously shelling the Americans to the
Baltimore crusading against the batteries to the Spanish fleet burning
and sinking, with the happiness and confidence of the Americans
providing texture to the whole picture.
One thing I still cannot do, though, is understand Carpenter.
Throughout the writings of his I read, he relates little beyond what he
saw and some of his gut reactions to that. Carpenter fails to record
his deep thoughts or feelings, to provide context for the facts of his
memories. While he does demonstrate awe at the sight of American shells
crashing into Spanish ships, and excitement at the adventure of the
Baltimore fighting the Spanish artillery, all that reveals is his basic
humanity. Bright lights and loud sounds thrill normal people. As a
researcher, I take dissatisfaction in the fact that Carpenter, at least
in his descriptions of the Battle of Manila Bay, provided only enough
for me to conclude he was normal. By definition, that does not
distinguish him from most individuals.
Perhaps some other sections of Carpenter’s journal might convey his
ruminations and emotions. Maybe Carpenter left something else somewhere
that would allow a researcher to discover him, not just his factual
recollections. If not, then, unfortunately, history really has lost him.
(The various appendices referred to below took the form of photocopies,
which I no longer possess. I am therefore unable to reproduce them on
this site.)
[1] Dudley Newcomb Carpenter, papers (1897-1901). Library of Congress,
Manuscript Division. Washington, D.C. 1 container (ca. 17 items). This
particular bit of information comes from a newspaper clipping. For more
information about the collection, see Appendix A. To see the clipping,
look at Appendix J.
[2] Or Portsmouth, New Hampshire, as the National Cyclopedia, cited below, insists.
[3] “Deaths,” Journal of the American Medical Association 158 (28 May 1955): 324. See Appendix B.
[4] Naval Historical Center, “Manila Bay Medal – USS Raleigh” and “Photo # NH 43347 picture data” ,
9 December 2002, along with Patrick McSherry, “USS Raleigh Crew Roster”
<://www.spanamwar.com/Raleighcrew.html>, 21 October 2002. Even
though these are web sites, I deem them credible, because the first two
are from a body attached to the Department of the Navy, and the last is
from someone who maintains an elaborate web site full of information
that jibes (mostly) with that of the Center and with that contained in
Carpenter’s material.
[5] National Cyclopædia of American Biography, s.v. “Carpenter, Dudley Newcomb.” See Appendix C.
[6] I could find, however, two other articles Carpenter wrote: “Visit
to the Chefoo, China, School for the Deaf,” Association Review 9
(1907): 359-362; and “Gunshot Wounds as Seen in the Philippines,”
Medical News (6 August 1898): 174-176. I located the former in the
Adams Building of the Library of Congress, and I discovered the latter
in the back of Carpenter’s journal. A copy of “Gunshot Wounds” appears
in Appendix D.
[7] He was then an assistant surgeon. From a crew roster in the Library of Congress collection. (Appendix G)
[8] George Dewey (1837-1917), aside from leading the Asiatic Squadron
in the Spanish-American War, also participated in the American Civil
War, fighting with the Union Navy in battles at the Louisiana cities of
New Orlean (1862), Port Hudson, and Donaldsonville (both in 1863), then
with the blockade forces in 1864 through 1865. After the
Spanish-American War, in March 1899, Congress fashioned for Dewey the
rank of Admiral of the Navy, the highest any naval officer has ever
achieved. From Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
[9] The Squadron’s members included the Olympia, which was the
flagship, the Baltimore, the Raleigh, the Boston, the Concord, the
Petrel, the McCulloch, the Nanshan, and the Zafiro. From Patrick
McSherry, “The Battle of Manila Bay (Cavite)” <
http://www.spanamwar.com/mbay.htm>, 21 October 2002.
[10] Manila Bay reaches from the South China Sea into Luzon, the
Philippines. The Spanish started constructing the city of Manila in
1571. Aside from hosting a key battle of the Spanish-American War,
Manila Bay also witnessed naval and aerial battles during World War II.
From EBO.
[11] This fleet comprised Admiral Montojo’s flagship, the Reina
Christina, the Castilla, the Isla de Cuba, the Isla de Luzon, the Don
Antonio de Ulloa, the Don Juan de Austria, the Marques del Duero, the
El Cano, and the Argos. From McSherry, “Battle of Manila Bay.”
[12] Patricio Montojo y Pasarón (1839-1917) served on various
assignments in the Philippines and elsewhere before taking charge of
the Spanish Pacific fleet. After he lost the Battle of Manila Bay, the
Spanish court-martialed and imprisoned him. Later, the military
exonerated Montojo, but he could not regain his commission. Ironically,
Dewey testified in Montojo’s defense. From Jose Poncet, “Admiral
Patricio Montojo y Pasarón” , 16 December 2002. (The EBO had nothing on Montojo!)
[13] Cavite, on the southern peninsular coast of Manila Bay, contained
the Spanish naval base the Asiatic Squadron seized after the Battle of
Manila Bay. From EBO. Admiral Montojo located his fleet there to avoid
harming Manila during the confrontation with the Americans. From
McSherry, “Battle of Manila Bay.”
[14] McSherry, “Battle of Manila Bay.” See Appendix E.
[15] Carpenter’s journal, p. 282.
[16] Dudley Newcomb Carpenter, Manila Bay, to Anna Carpenter (his
mother), 3 May 1898, letter in Library of Congress collection. A copy
is in Appendix F.
[17] Carpenter’s journal, p. 282.
[18] Letter to mother, 3 May 1898.
[19] I searched for this city or place on the Internet, but I could
find no reference to it. Perhaps Carpenter spelled it incorrectly.
[20] Carpenter’s journal, p. 282.
[21] Letter to mother, 3 May 1898.
[22] Carpenter’s journal, p. 282.
[23] Subic Bay lies in Luzon, Philippines, 35 miles northwest of Manila
Bay. From EBO. Admiral Montojo had stationed his fleet there for the
confrontation with the Americans, but the artillery that was to fire on
the Americans from Grande Island was not in place, so Montojo took his
ships back to Manila. From “History of Subic Bay” , 12 December 2002. I think this web site is reliable because it fits with McSherry’s description of the Battle of Manila Bay.
[24] Letter to mother, 3 May 1898.
[25] Carpenter’s journal, p. 283.
[26] Letter to mother, 3 May 1898. The Spanish said the Americans “must have had a map of their torpedos [sic].”
[27] Carpenter’s journal, p. 283.
[28] Ibid., pp. 283-284.
[29] Letter to mother, 3 May 1898.
[30] Carpenter’s journal, p. 284.
[31] Letter to mother, 3 May 1898.
[32] Carpenter’s journal, p. 284.
[33] Letter to mother, 3 May 1898.
[34] Carpenter’s journal, p. 285.
[35] Letter to mother, 3 May 1898. Carpenter says the Baltimore shoved
“everything before her,” which I presume to mean the batteries because
ramming a fort and surviving is quite improbable.
[36] I think Carpenter might have gotten the names of the Spanish ships
confused, because in his 3 May 1898 letter to his mother, Carpenter
identifies the ship as the San Juan, even though Don Antonio de Ulloa
is the correct name, as McSherry indicates in his description of the
Battle.
[37] Carpenter’s journal, p. 285.
[38] Letter to mother, 3 May 1898.
[39] Carpenter’s journal, p. 286.
[40] Letter to mother, 3 May 1898.
[41] Carpenter’s journal, p. 286.
[42] McSherry, “Battle of Manila Bay.”
[43] A typed tally sheet pasted to the inside back cover of Carpenter’s journal.
[44] Letter to mother, 3 May 1898.
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