HUMPHREYS
HUMPHREYS
ant in the corps of topographical engineers and
served on various public surveys, 1838-39 ; as as-
sistant in the topographical bureau, Washington,
D.C., 1840-41; in the Florida war, 1843 ; at
Washington, D.C., 1842-44; in charge of the
coast survey office, 1844-49 ; on survey in the field,
1849-50 ; on the Mississippi river, 1850-51 ; in
Europe procuring information on protection of
delta rivers, 1853-54 ; on duty in Washington,
D.C., in connection with explorations and sur-
veys for railroads to the Pacific ocean, and in
geographical surveys west of the Mississippi river,
1854-61 ; as a member of the lighthouse board,
1856-63, and as a member of the board at the U.S.
Military academy to revise the ]irogramme of in-
struction, 1860. He was chief topographical en-
gineer under Gen. G.B. McClellan at Washington,
D.C., December, 1861, to March, 1863; and in
the Army of the Potomac, being engaged in the
defences of Washington, the siege of Yorktown,
the battles of Williamsburg and in the movements
and operations before Richmond, up to July, 1863.
He was promoted major, corps of topographical
engineers, Aug. 6, 1861 ; colonel of volunteers,
March 5, 1863 ; was appointed brigadier-general
of volunteers, April 38, 1863 ; lieutenant-colonel,
corps of engineers, March 3, 1863 ; major-general
of volunteers, July 8, 1863 ; brigadier-general and
chief of engineers, U.S.A., Aug. 8, 1866, and as-
signed to the command of the 3d division, 5th
army corps, commanded by Generals Fitz-John
Porter, George G. Meade and Daniel Butterfield, at
the battles of Antietam, Frederickslnirg, and
Chancellorsville, and of the 2d division, 3d army
corps, Gen. D. E. Sickles, at Gettysburg. He
was promoted brevet colonel and lieutenant-col-
onel of engineers, U.S.A., March 3, 1863, for
Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, and major-
general of volunteers, July 8, 1863, for his action
at Gettysburg. He was made chief of stalT to
General Meade, July 8, 1863, filling the position
till Nov. 25, 1864, when he assumed command of
the 3d corps, which he directed in the siege of
Petersburg and the pursuit of Lee's army to Ap-
pomattox. His battles included Bristoe Station,
Oct. 14 ; Mine Run, Nov. 39-Dec. 3, 1863 ; Rap-
idan, Feb. 6 ; Wilderness, May 5-6 ; Spottsylvania,
May 9-20 ; North Anna, May 23-36, Tolopotomy,
May 38-30 ; Cold Harbor, June 1-3 ; Petersburg,
June 16-18 and July 30; Weldon Road, Aug.
18-35 ; Preble Farm, Sept. 30 ; Boydton Plank
Road, Oct. 27, 1864; as commander of the 2d
corps in the siege of Petersburg, Nov. 25, 1864, to
April 3, 1805, and in the pursuit of Lee's army,
April 6-9, 1865. He commanded the district of
Pennsylvania from July 38 to Dec. 9, 1865. when
he was ordered to the Mississippi river in charge
of the levees, where he remained from Dec. 9,
1865, to Aug. 8, 1866. He was promoted major-
general by brevet in the regular army, Aug. 8,
1866, for gallant and meritorious services at
Sailor's Creek, Va., and commanded the corps of
engineers and continued as chief of engineers,
U.S.A., until his retirement at his own request,
June 30, 1879, during which time he served on
lighthouse and other important boards. His mil-
itary record includes participation in seventy
engagements, covering Indian warfare and the
civil war. He was a member of the American
Philosophical society ; the Hungarian Society of
Engineers ; the American Academy of Arts and
Sciences ; a corporate member of the National
Academy of Sciences ; an honorary member of
the Imperial Royal Geographical Institute of
Vienna, of the Italian Geographical society and
of the Royal Institute of Science and Art of Lom-
bardy, Milan, Italy ; and a corresponding member
of the Maryland Historical society, of the Geo-
graphical Society of Paris, and of the Austrian
Society of Engineer Architects. He received the
honorary degree of LL.D. from Harvard in 1868.
He is the autlior of: Report on the Physics and
Hydraulics of the Mississippi iJrrer (1861) ; The
Virginia Campaigns of ISG4. and 1SG5 (1882) ;
From Gettysburg to tJie Rapidan (1883), and con-
tributions to biographical and scientific literature.
He died in Wasliington, D.C., Dec. 37, 1883.
HUMPHREYS, Benjamin Grubb, governor of Mississippi, was born at "The Hermitage " near Port Gibson, Claiborne county. Miss., Aug. 26, 1808 ; son of George Wilson and Sarah (Smith) Humphreys, and
grandson of Col. Ralph and Agnes (Wilson) Humphreys, of Virginia, and of Maj. David and Sarah (Terry) Smith. One of his maternal great grandfathers. Gen. Joseph Terry, was killed at the battle of King's Mountain; tln' other, Maj. David Smith was an officer in Jackson's army and won distinction in the war of 1813, being promoted major for conspicuous gallan- try at the battle of New Orleans. He received his preparatory education at Morristown, N.J., and entered the U.S. Military academy where he remained three years, when, with thirty- nine other cadets, he was expelled for participat- ing in a frolic at Benny Havens. He engaged in cotton planting in Mississippi and accumulated a moderate fortune. He was married. Dec. 3, 1839, to Mildred Hickman Maury. He left the Demo-
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