The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-06
LIEUTENANT BRUMBY.
Dcwey's Bold Flag Officer
A Rebels
Son.

When. Admiral Dewey, then a com
modore, was assigned to the command
of the Asiatic squadron one of the frs
questions that presented itself to hin
was the selection Of his flag officer. Be
cause of the close personal as well as
official relationship that exists between
a feet commander and his flag lieuten-
ant, complete harmony between them
is essential This was a particularly
important matter to Commodore Dew
ey, as friend in that branch of the
navy department which assigns Off
GERS 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 small
est details of dress and department
and an authority in the matter of good
taste, decided that his flag officer
should be the same manner of man.
Therefore among the names of lieut.
enants suggested as available for the
billet was that Of Thomas M. Brumby,
who was at the time stationed in Wash
ington. and like the commodore had a
When the Olympias cruise was
planned a war with Spain was cOnsid-
cred a remote possibility. The outlook
promised nothing outside of the ordi-
nary 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 f1agship's
officers would be principally of So
cial nature. The commodore desired
the services of a gentleman as flag
lieutenant, capable of assisting him in
such functions as entertaining various
dignitaries 1t was not expected that
the name of Admiral Montojc would
appear as calling for a peculiar kind
Of entertainment.
At the Army and Navy Club in
Washington the commodore met Lieut..
Brumby and suggested to him that, If
agreeable, he apply for assignment as
his flag officer The lieutenant hest
tated mentioned the fact that he had
several months shore duty to, his Gre
dit. and had arranged to remain in
Washington, and that he hoped for as
signment to the European station on
his next tour of sea duty. though he
appreciated the great honor rendered
to him by the commodore
The commodore. after hearing Mr..
Brumbys statement. referred again ia
his list of available officers, and select
ed another name. Soon afterward a
friend of Lieut. Brumby met that Off
Ger and was informed of the commo-
dore's offer.
why you should have accepted that
billet by all means, at any seeming
sacrifice" the friend advised You
and the commodore would hit it off adj
hlirably, YOU are both so darned par
ticular and he is a prince of good fell
lows. If you want to have fine cruise
reconsider and ask for the assignment
Then the speaker described with enthu.
siasm trip he had made to the Orient
1T beats Europe all hollow" was his
opinion.
The following day Lieut.. Brumby
called upon the commodore and request.
ed to be allowed to withdraw his re.
cent deciination. The commodore in.
formed him that he had already ten.
dered the assignment to another officer
In the course of a few days, however
Mr.. Brumby received note from the
officer to whom the post had been of.
fered, and declined il, having made
other plans, and renewing the former
offer to himself. This time Brumb,
accepted promptly and ii is probabl,
that the officer who so narrowly missed
fame is still regretting those Other
plans"
Mr.. Brumby will soon go to his home
in Georgia where he will receive :
sword of honor, the gift of his native
state But the greatest pleasure await.
ing him there is that Of seeing his
mother, who is now more than so years
of age. She is a cousin of ex-Vicf