In the summer of 1863 he and several other cadets left the institute to join the Confederate forces. James enlisted under his cousin, Capt. John Wallis Brumby, in Company D, 24th Battalion, Georgia Cavalry commanded by Major Edward C. Anderson, Jr. and served along the southern Georgia coast guarding against invasion from the sea.

With the consolidation of units organizing the 7th Regiment, Georgia Cavalry on February 13, 1864, Pvt. Brumby was transferred to Co. I. In May of that year they were ordered to Virginia and placed in Young's Brigade. After reaching Virginia in early June, they were actively engaged with the enemy nearly every day.

In December, most of the horses were dead or rendered useless from starvation. James Brumby and most of what was left of the 7th were now in Gary's Brigade "un-mounted". These men, under the command of Col. E.C. Anderson, Jr., went to Savannah to acquire new mounts and upon arrival were assigned to another unit defending against Sherman's army.

Pvt. Brumby became very sick while in Savannah and was sent to a hospital in Charleston. The surgeon in charge was an old time friend and relative by marriage. Thanks to this meeting, James was sent to his father's refugeed home in Hancock County to recover.

When James recovered, his father bought him another horse and he rejoined his unit at Aiken, S.C. where they had gathered after remounting themselves. They headed to join the Army in North Carolina but before arriving, Gnl. Johnson had surrendered and the army was disbanded.

On the way back home, James and his step-brother, Henry Bostwick, took two abandoned mules with them and swapped them for two hundred bushels of corn which was all the family had to start the world again. As soon as they could, the family moved back to Marietta.

James Remley Brumby proved to be quite an entrepreneur after the war. In addition to a few other successful ventures, James and his younger brother, Thomas, in 1875 founded the now world famous Brumby Chair Company.

Contributed by John Latty.