The Humphreys family in America - citizen hylbom blog

anks and having left many a gallant soldier killed and wounded on the field, the little band of
the Ninety-fifth, exhausted by the efforts of the day, wended its course among the ravines back a
short distance to the brigade encampment. The Colonel, as has been stated, was supposed to have
been killed during the charge, as nothing had been seen or heard of him since he crossed the ridge.
"Gen. Ransom had ordered a coffin for the reception of the corpse, so certain was he of
Col. Humphrey's death. The latter, however, turned out to be safe, and during the same evening
appeared, to the great delight and astonishment of all, at Gen. Ransom's headquarters, where the
coflin was there in readiness ! After passing the ridge, Col. Humphrey lay down closely upon the
ground, as it was impossible for a human being then to be visible above it and live. In this
condition, with the mad cannon balls screaming over him and plowing around his body, covering
him with dirt and benumbing his limbs, he remained until evening, when he noiselessly crept from
his precarious position and appeared so suddenly and unexpectedly in camp, as before related."*
Thus failed utterly two desperate and heroic attempts at assault of the rebel works; regular
seige followed, with the historic result of capture. Col. Humphrey, at the head of his men, was
one of the first to enter the city. Thence sent against Natchez; thence, in October following,
returned to Vicksburg. He passed the winter in garrison and picket duty, in fortifying, and in
receiving recruits from the north for his depleted ranks. Sent on the Red River Expedition the
next spring, he was conspicuous in the destruction of Fort De Rossay, and in the retreat on
steamer, by fortifying his decks with hard bread and bales of hay, and fighting, with his sharp
shooters, both the infantry and artillery of the enemy; and on the retreat by land from Grand
Ecenes, as rear guard, by constantly fighting and always whipping the flushed and victorious enemy.
This disastrous expedition abandoned. Col. Humphrey again, from steamer, landed his
troops at Vicksburg, 23 Apr., 1865. Thence ordered to Memphis, where they arrived in May,
just in time to be assigned to an expedition, under Gen. .S. D. Sturgis, against the rebel General
Forest, in northern Mississippi. Forest was encountered near Guntown. Sturgis' cavalry w-ere
several miles in advance of his infantry, and brought on the engagement before they could be
supported. The day was intensely hot, and orders were to hasten up the infantry. "The regiment
hastened on to the scene of conflict, now raging furiously at the front. Numbers of men,
overcome by the heat and fatigue, fell out by the road-side, while the majority of them, though
well nigh exhausted and unfit to perform what under better circumstances they would have
accomplished, even in the unequal contest before them, still held their position in the ranks and
came up bravely to form their first line of battle. " f
In the early part of the action (10 June, 1864) Col. Humphrey, while leading on his men,
fell mortally wounded. Successively, within a short time, two captains succeeding to the command
fell. Meantime the ammunition was giving out, and no supplies had been provided. The General
commanding or his Staff were nowhere to be found. Col. Humphrey's regiment, flanked on both
wings, to escape capture were compelled to fall back, yet formed again, till soon a general retreat
was ordered by Sturgis, resulting in a complete and shameful rout, with him and his cavalry far
in the advance, all the way back to Memphis.
969
Col. Humphrey's body was recovered, under fire, and brought by the Surgeon in a buggy
to Memphis, and forwarded to his family in Illinois for interment.
Col. Humphrey was an officer of exceeding promise of high eminence to arms. Falling at
the age of 29, his military career, though brief, seems, like his character, to have been an ideal one.
His promotion had been applied for, and after his death the Adjutant-General of the army wrote
that some of the strongest recommendations for his promotion were in his office that had ever come
into it. Promotion by brevet was confirmed after his death "for gallant and distinguished conduct."
» From "A Histr^ry of I he Ninety. fifth Regimeni, Illinois Infanlry Volunteers, by Wales W. Wood, Esq, of Belvidere, 111 , former
Adjutant of the Regiment. Chicago Trikunt print, 1S65." t Same histoiy.