Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 05.djvu/453

 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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