Editing George Dewey (section)

==Post–Civil War life==
After the end of the Civil War, then Lieutenant Commander Dewey remained in active service, and was sent to the European station as executive officer of {{USS|Kearsarge|1861|6}}—the famous ship that had sunk the [[CSS Alabama|Confederate privateer ''Alabama'']].

===Peacetime assignments===
Dewey's next tour of duty was in 1867 and 1868 as executive officer of {{USS|Colorado|1856|6}}—the same vessel in which he had won his honors at Fort Fisher, and now the flagship of the [[European Squadron]]. The admiral in command of the ship and squadron was [[Louis M. Goldsborough]], and one of Dewey's companions was [[John C. Watson (admiral)|John Crittenden Watson]]—the same man, who, as rear admiral, relieved Admiral Dewey of his duties at Manila, when he wished to return to the United States in the summer of 1899.<ref name="archive.org" /> Lieutenant Commander Dewey was in charge of the vessels at the Naval Academy in Annapolis from November 6, 1867, through August 1, 1870. This duty included commanding the famous frigate {{USS|Constitution}}, which was berthed at Annapolis as a training ship.

Some tranquil years followed the end of Dewey's cruise on ''Colorado''. For two years, from 1868 to 1870, he was an instructor at the Naval Academy. The next year he did special surveying work on the steam sloop {{USS|Narragansett|1859|6}}. He was then briefly assigned to the Naval Torpedo Station at Newport, Rhode Island. It was during this assignment that his wife died just after the birth of his son. In 1873, Dewey was given command of ''Narragansett'' and spent nearly four years on her, engaged in the Pacific Coast Survey.<ref name="archive.org" />

===Lighthouse Board===
This entitled him to a period of rest ashore; and he was ordered to [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]], and made lighthouse inspector in 1880, and then secretary of the [[United States Lighthouse Board|lighthouse board]], a service in which he took great interest. Meanwhile, he had been promoted to the grade of [[Commander (United States)|commander]]. This residence in Washington as a bureau officer of high rank gave him an extensive acquaintance, and he became one of the most popular men in the capital. He was a member of the [[Metropolitan Club (Washington, D.C.)|Metropolitan Club]], the leading social club of Washington.<ref name="archive.org" />

===Assignments 1882 – 1896===
In 1882, this leave of absence in Washington came to an end when he was sent to the [[Asiatic Squadron|Asiatic station]] in command of {{USS|Juniata|1862|6}}, where he studied the situation with care and acquired information of immense importance ten years later.<ref name="archive.org" />

He was promoted to the rank of [[Captain (United States O-6)|captain]] in 1884, and he was ordered home and given command of {{USS|Dolphin|PG-24|6}}—one of the first four ships of the original [[Squadron of Evolution|"white squadron"]], steam-powered ships with steel hulls which formed the basis of the modern United States Navy. ''Dolphin'' was officially classed as a dispatch boat, and was often used as the [[President of the United States|Presidential]] yacht.<ref name="archive.org" />

In 1885, Captain Dewey undertook another tour of sea service, and for three years was in command of {{USS|Pensacola|1859|6}}, familiar to him in the New Orleans battles, now flagship of the European squadron.<ref name="archive.org" />

Returning to Washington in 1893, he resumed the life of a bureau officer, being attached to the lighthouse board. In 1896, he was promoted to [[Commodore (United States)|commodore]] and transferred to the [[Board of Inspection and Survey]].<ref name="archive.org" />