Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-27
MAGRUDER HAS LONG RECORD
OF FAITHFUL SERVICE AFLOAT
Naval Critic, Now so, Is Due
for Retirement for
Age in 1881.
Admiral Holds Decorations
From Three NationS-In-
tereSted in Farming.

Rear Admiral Thomas Pickett Ma.
gruder commandment of the Philadel-
phia Navy Yard and center of the
stage Of public interest as a result of
his published article on the Navy, is
Woodworking. fighting sea dog of
the old school and, next to pacing the
deck of a rolling war vessel. he would
rather run a farm than anything else
| in the world.
Admiral Magruder will be so years
old on November % and on that date
in 1881 he will formally pass from
the active list of the Navy onto the
retired rolls, because he will have
reached the statutory age limit of ga.
On that date, also, he will have COM
pleted As years in the service of the
Navy.
All who have met the admiral and
all who have served under him are
unanimous in their declarations that
'if you want to get along with the
old man you've got to work" He has
no time for sailor or officer who is
Just getting by" With 1t all, he is
stern and strict and insists on carry
ing out orders and having his orders
carried out to the letter.
Sea Service Mostly.
on first meeting, the conclusion is
that the admiral wants to be friendly
He is courteous and sets a twinkle
going in his eye. Whether that atti.
tude is TO continue or not depends on
the amount of work put out" by the
individual in question.
Close friends and associates of '"T
p" as he is often referred to, know
the motives that actuated the liter
airy outbursts. regardless of whether
they agree or disagree with his
views. That motive. they say. is a
deep and profound interest in the
Nays welfare. There could be no
other reason-he doesn't crave pub
licity. he doesn't talk about himself
or his past life and experiences and
he has no big job in view.
Admiral Magruder has plugged
along, day in and day out. in the 30
years that have elapsed between the
time he was commissioned an ensign
and the date he was made permanent
rear admiral, always pulling with the
ship and never against it. His service
record shows tht most of his life has
been that of a sailor-most of his duty
has been at sea. The record does not
glitter with spectacular deeds; no IA
nous words, expressions or epigrams
are attributed TO him. The nature of
his duties. however. has served to
convince his friends that he has
earned his pay"
Faces Heavy Fire.
Admiral Magruder's naval career
started off with a bang. He was one
of a picked group ordered to cut the
cables at Cienfuegos. Cuba. May IL.
1898, during the Spanish-American
war. In command of a steam launch.
Ensign Magruder's duties were to pro-
tect the cable-cutting party in another
boat which the launch had in tow.
Right into the face of heavy fire
from the shore. Ensign Magruder
went. The cable cutters got down
to business in a hurry while gunfire
rained down on the party. Ensign
Magruder returned the fire. answer
ing shot for shot as best he could.
The cables were cut. Several of the
party were wounded. The commander
of the expedition in his report to the
Navy Department declared he was
ably supported by Ensign Magruder
who displayed great GOODNESS, bravery
and promptness in carrying out orders
and in protecting his men,"
After the successful operation he
was advanced five numbers in rank
''for gallantry."
When Magruder, then lieutenant.
junior grade, returned home from the
war, the citizens of Vicksburg. Miss,
his native State. presented him
with a gold-mounted sword as a token
of their appreciation for his war serv-
ices.
Born i'm Mississippi.
L.,
zoo County. Mississippi. the son of
Lawson William and Jessie M. (Kil.
patrick Magruder. He entered the
Naval Academy in 1885 and was grad
uated in 1889. Two years later he was
commissioned an ensign.
Following the ish-American
War, Admiral Magruder served at sea
on up through the grades. In 1905 he
returned to shore for a years duty.
and then went back to the ships as
navigator of the u. S. S. Iowa. Twelve
months later he went to the u. s. s.
Alabama as executive officer, thence
to Philadelphia as machinery inspec-
tor for two years and then out to
the Philippine station for "a months.
He assumed his first ship command
in .913 as skipper of the cruiser
Albany, from which he transferred
year later to the Raleigh, spend
ing two years in this duty.
When the World War broke out,
Admiral Magruder was appointed
commander of Squadron Four, Patrol
Force, of the Atlantic Fleet, and
went to France. operating out Of
L'Oriente. His patrol ships kept the
coast clear of submarines and mines
and he conveyed the incoming trans
ports laden with American troops.
The duty was faithfully performed
and his government awarded him the
Distinguished Service Medal. France.
recnc nizinc the Nalla BILE services rend.