Beschreibung:

32" curved, single-edged, semi-quill backed blade with prominently rounded spine. 5.75" silver washed hilt with half basket guard, the seal of the State of Georgia in the face of the guard, with both a sea serpent quillon and knuckle bow. Pommel cap with an American eagle surrounded by an oval blue enamel border with the following inscription in silver: MANILA MAY 1st - 1898. White shagreen covered grooved wood grip with 11 wraps of three-strand gilt wire, the middle wire being twisted. Blade is retailer marked on the reverse ricasso, HENRY V. / ALLEN / & Co / NEW YORK. Blade is profusely etched and highlighted in gold gilt with floral, patriotic and nautical martial themes, with a full inscription on both sides of the blade, taking up about three-quarters of its length. The obverse inspection reads: Presented by the Citizens of Georgia to Lieut. Thomas M. Brumby USN in recognition of his distinguished Services to his Country at Manila Bay May 1st, 1898. The reverse of the blade is further inscribed: Born at Marietta Georgia 1855, Appointed to Annapolis from Atlanta Georgia 1873 Graduated 1877. The silver-plated scabbard is profusely engraved and features highly decorated chiseled German silver mounts. The upper mount with Brumby's monogram executed in rhinestones surmounting an anchor and surrounded by a rope boarder, the middle mount with the monogram USN in silver, again with a rope boarder and surmounted by an eagle. The highly ornate bottom mount consists of Poseidon atop his trident, with a mermaid arching her back forming the actual drag. The scabbard body is engraved AUG 13TH 1898, and depicts Brumby's raising of the American flag at Manila, Brumby on the deck of his warship USS Olympia and Columbia's shield with the word OLYMPIA surmounting it. Even the suspension rings are engraved to match the balance of the scabbard. A truly impressive presentation sword from the State of Georgia to one of the central characters in the Battle of Manila Bay. Thomas Mason Brumby (1855-1899) was career naval officer who served in combat aboard the USS Olympia as Admiral George Dewey's Flag Lieutenant during the momentous Battle of Manila Bay, a signal victory over a decrepit Spanish fleet that unlocked the door to American occupation of the Philippines thrusting it on to the world stage as an colonial power. Lieutenant Brumby also made a significance contribution in negotiating with Spanish authorities leading up to the surrender of Manila. Born November 20, 1855 in Marietta, Georgia into a Cobb County planter family, Brumby's father, Arnolus Brumby, had graduated West Point with the Class of 1835, was a former Superintendent of the Georgia Military Institute before the war, and had briefly served as colonel of the 14th Georgia Infantry before resigning in November 1861. Young Brumby lived in war-torn Atlanta before entering University of Georgia where he was not an exceptional student. He transferred to the US Naval Academy at Annapolis as Cadet Midshipman on September 27, 1873 but did not graduate until June 1879. It took nearly a year before Midshipman Brumby secured a position in the run-down peacetime navy. Brumby was promoted to ensign in November 1880 and put in routine duty both at sea - training cruises along with showing the flag on foreign stations - and at various shore installations as the navy entered a sustained period of resurrection (rebirth) driven by a new breed of forward-thinking admirals bent on finally constructing and experimenting with technologically advanced sea-going steel warships. Brumby was promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade on April 21, 1887 and was involved in the devastating cyclone that struck a force of mildly agonistic American and German warships riding at anchor in Apia Harbor, in Samoa on March 15, 1889. Both the American and German squadrons suffered the lost three warships each while the only survivor was the modern steel warship HMS Calliope. Lieutenant Brumby was fortunate to survive the st