The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-09-28
HOW DEWEY MADE A CHOICE
LIEUT.. BEsUMBX's GOOD LUCK.
Tho Flag Lieutenant and the Ad
miral are Much Alike in Some
ThiNgs.

miral are Much Alike in Some
ThiRgs.
When Admiral Dewey, then q com
modore, was assigned to the command
of the Asiatic squadron, one OF the
arst questions that presented itself tC
him was the selection OF his flag Of
ficer. Because of the close personal
as we'll as official relationship that
exists between o fleet commander and
his flag lieutenant, complete harmony
between them Is essential. This was
particularly important matter to
Commodore Dewey, as friend in that
assigns officers to the various ships
and stations, we'll knew. This friend
being familiar with the personal
characteristics Of the commodore. who
Is precise in the smallest details Of
dress and department., and an au-
thority in the matter of good taste,
decided that his flag officer should be
the same manner of man. Therefore
among the names of lieutenants sug-
gested as available for the billet, was
that of Thomas M. Brumby, who was
at the time stationed in Washington,
and like the commodore, had reputa-
tion for punctiliOusness.
When the Olympia's cruise was
planned war with Spain was con-
sidered q remote possibility. The out
look promised nothing outside Of the
ordinary round of visits to the ports of
China, Japan and other eastern coun-
tries, where the heaviest duties that
were expected to fall upon the flag
ships officers would be principally Of
s@9ial nature. The commodore de-
sired the services of O gentleman, as
flag lieutenant, capable of assisting
him in such functions as entertaining
various dignitarie-. 1t was not ex
pected that the name Of Admiral Mon
tejo would appear as calling for a
peculiar kind Of entertainment.
At the Army and Navy club in
Washington tho commodore mot Lieu
tenant Brumby and suggested to him
that, If agreeable, he apply for assign
mont as his flag officer. The liente-
nant hesitated, mentioned the fact
that he had several months shore duty
to his credit. and had arranged to re-
main in Washington, and shat he
hoped for assignment to :" european
station on his next torfSs3,f sea duty,
though he appreciate lie great honor
The commodore after hearing Mr..
his list of available officers and select
ed another name. Soon afterward
friend Of Lieutenant Brumby met that
officer and was informed of tho COM
modore's offer.
"Why, you should have accepted
that billet by all means; at any SEEM
ing sacrifice" tho friend advised
"You and the commodore would hit it
oH admirably, you are both 80 darned
particular, and he is q prince of good
fellows. If you want to have fine
cruise, reconsider and ask for the as
signment." Then the speaker de-
scribed with enthusiasm, a trip ne
had made to the Orient. cit beats
Europe all hollow" was his opinion.
The following day Lieutenant Brum-
by called upon the commodore and re-
quested to be allowed to withdraw his
recent declinatton. The commodore
informed him that he had already ten
dered the assignment to another Of
fcer. In the course OF few days,
however, Mr.. Brumby received note
from the commodore informing him
that the other officer, to whom the
having made other plans, and renew
ing the former offer to himself. This
time Brumby accepted promptly, and
it Ia probable that the officer who so
narrowly missed fame Is still regret
ting "those other plans"
After the coming celebration hore
and at Washington in honor OF Ad-
miral Dewey, Mr.. Brumby will 60 to
his homo In Georgia where he will re.
ceive sword of honor, the gift OF his
native State. But the greatest pleas
ure awaiting him there Is that OF see-
ing his mother, who Ia now more than
80 years of age. She is a cousin of OK
Vice President AGlai Il. Stevenson,
and represents the type OF gentlewo.
man of the old school OF the days when
the daughters of Southern families
were not considered educated until
troy had spent several years at O Eu-
ropean school. Mrs. Brumby was pre-
sented to Queen Victoria only o few
months after the queens coronation,
when both were mere slips OF girls. 1t
is probable that Mrs. Brumby's presen-
tation occurred at an earlier date than
that OF any other American woman
now living.
Tho flag lieutenant's father, the late
Col. A. V. Brumby, of Georgia, grad
uated from West Point in 1888, and
served as an officer OF tho First United
States artillery through the Seminole
war In Florida. Soon after the Indian
troubles were settled in Florida, he
resigned and became a member Of the
faculty of the University of Alabama,
and subsequently established the Geor'
gia Military Institute at Marietta, Ga
That institution undor Colonel Brum-
by's presidency, turned out no less
than q dozen graduates, who afterwards
became generals, while there were
fully 1000 other officers in the Confed
crate army who had received then
training in the same school. Wher
the civil war began Colonel Brumby
was placed in command of tho Four
teenth Georgia infantry, and sent t.
West Virginia. The exposure OF {
hard winter's campaign was too SO
we're for man of his years and en-
feeb!ed health, and after o faw months
service he was forced to resign lust q,
he had received a brigadier general
commission.
On his famous march to the se,
Sherman burned to the ground the In
stitution that was presided over b,
Colonel Brumby. The blunt Unioi