The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-04-01
BLUES SELECTION
MEETS WITH FAVOR
According to Old Officers is
Main Qualification for
Position
BORN IN THIS STATE
His Position Ranks Next to Sec
rotary and Assistant Secretary
Of Navy-Rig Importance
fBy H.. r.. G.. BRYANT.)

tby ~. H. ~.
Washington. March 29.--The APP
pointment Of Commander Victor Blue.
to the position OF chief OF the bureau
OF navigation. the most important bu-
reau in the navy, Is causing much fav-
orable comment. Mr.. Blue has won
his rank by real service. Secretary
Daniels made a popular selection.
Although Commander Blue Is cred
tied to South Carolina, he IS a native
of North Carolina. His parents NOV
ed to the Palmetto state after he was
born.
Victor Blue was born IN Richmond
county NOW Scotland), December
s. 1865. He is a brother OF Surgeon
General Rupert Blue. of the United
States public health service.
John Cilchrist Blue, father Of Vic
tor Blue. married Miss Annie Evans,
IA daughter OF General William Evans.
Of Marion. South Carolina. He was
a member Of the North Carolina Legs
ature at the beginning OF the Civil
War and afterwards served as a leu
tenant OF Company +, Seventh North
Carolina Regiment, Confederate States
army. He was in Pickett's division
and served in all Of the big battles Of
Virginia, receiving a slight wound In
the Battle of the Wilderness.
John Blue. grandfather OF Victor
Blue. was a captain in command Of a
company Of North Carolina volunteers
in the war of 1912.
The Blues are of Scotch decent and
have lived in Moth Carolina since the
early part Of the eighteenth century
There are now, in Scotland county,
several well-known families Of Blues.
John and Angus Blue are well-to-do
cotton farmers.
In 1870 John Gilchrist Blue, father
Of Victor Blue, moved to Marion,
where his wife's people lived, and il
was from South Carolina that Com
mander Blue won an appointment tc
the Naval Academy by competitive
examination in 1888, graduating from
that institution in 1887.
October 1889, Commander Blue
married Eleanor Eoote Stuart, Of
Morristown, n. j.. daughter Of Johr
Stuart, and granddaughter Of Genera
David Stuart. of Detroit. Mrs. Stuart
mother of Mrs. Blue, was Louis
Foote, a daughter of John T.. FOote
of Morristown, formerly Of Cincin
natl. Her maternal ancestors wer'
Kentucky people. including the Ward
and Taylors, OF Newport.
Commander Blues father was o.
Wade Hampton's>staff as colonel an,
became a member of the famous Wal
lace House, which ouSted the carpet
baggers, He was a member Of tn
Judiciary committee.
To Garcia's Camp.
Victor Glue is not the man VIII
carried the famous message to Garci
but did go 70 Garcia's camp on one c
his scouting tours which revealed tn
presence OF Cervera's fleet in the hal
Dor at Santiago. The present pres
dent-elect of Cuba. Senior Menoca
was at camp and fitted young Blue OIL
with a mule and a guide. This was Q
the second occasion and the most daI
gerous of the two. The purpose W.
TO take a prepared chart and dot dow
the position of the ships Of Cervera, ;
Sampson was planning a night attac
with torpedo boats.
(Blue a found on the first Scou
ing that the Merrimac, sun by HOl
son., had not blocked the harbor.)
Blue and guides crawled in betwee
the Spanish trenches. about a mi
apart. n after getting behind ther
went on to the bay, a distance Of Sc
eral mile. At times he was ne;
enough to hear h Spanish soldie
talking in the trenches. h trip W.
mad In the day time. Through Sc
eral open places he craweld throu,
grass waist high. suffering an Alta
Of hcat prostration, from which, ho'
ever he soon recovered.
lie spent an hour on a high h
overlooking the bay in locating t
ships, of which there were the armc
ed cruisers, Cristobal Colon, Ma,
Maria Teresa, Oquendo and Visca,
and the two d~estroyers. Pluton a
Furor. He had passed trench
manned by Spanish soldiers to I
westward. and the foot Of the hill j,
below his point OF observation the
wa9 a garrison OF 500 Spanish soldie
The six Cuban soldiers with him.,
guides. were extremely anxious to ia
a pot shot or two at these Spaniar
and ii VAS With difficulty that r