The Humphreys family in America - citizen hylbom blog

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whatever extent Meude, within hiiiibclf, miyht have aekiiowledged the immense vahic uf the duties well di>iie liy
Humphreys, he docs not, in orders, concede how much he did owe to such a subordinate. Examine his ofiicial
documents and decide if he ever does justice to the unqualified devotion and marvelous capacity of his chiet-of-staff.
Meade himself, it is true, only played a secondary part after Grant came to the East; he was a lower Alp, always
in the shadow of Grant, sometimes so completely obscured as to be temporarily invisible.
"On the 26th of November, 1864, General Humphreys was relieved from the thankless task of chief-of-stafl' of
the Army of the Potomac, and placed at the head of the Second (properly speaking, the combined Second-Third
corps, which comprised a whole division of the latter, in which there were very many of the officers and men of
whom he had taken leave so affectionately on the victorious fields of Pennsylvania, in his elegant and complimentary
order of the i6th of August, 1S63). On placing himself once more at their head, with mingled modesty as to himself
and pride in regard to them, he issued another order equally characteristic and pregnant with feeling, as succinct
as expressive:
" 'It is natural that I should feel some diflidence in succeeding to the command of so distinguished a soldier as
Major-General Hancock. I can only promise you that I shall try to do my duty and preserve your reputation unsullied,
relying iqion you to sustain me by that skill and courage which you have so conspicuously displayed on so many fields.'
"The story of the combined Second-Third corps after Humphreys assumed command of it is a chronicle of
successes, the more remarkable since, under his leading, it was simply a series of undoubted triumphs which knew
no check nor arrest. * * Frnra the date that Humphreys became a corps commander, November 26, 1864,
until Lee surrendered at Appomatto.\ Court House, April 9, 1865, there is not the blur of the breath of a check upon
the polish of the escutcheon of the general or the badges of the corps that he led to victory. The winter of 1864-65
was one of unusual severity, and the Confederates suffered greatly, particularly from want of proper food. As it was
reported that supplies were wagoned from Hicksford, on the Weldon Railroad, forty miles south of Petersburg, to
break up this route of supply, Humphreys was ordered to co-operate with Warren, Fifth corps, w^hich, in turn, was
to support Gregg's cavalry of the Army of the Potomac. On the 6th of February quite a severe action occurred,
which ended in the extension of the Union intrenchments to the left as far as Hatcher's Run at the Vaughan Road
Crossing. This v^as the first time that the army had solidly estalilished itself so far to the left, and Humphreys now
held that extremity of our lines. The Fifth corps was massed in his rear in support. This mention is interesting,
because it was from this base that the final operations of the investing army started to complete their work. Although
there were continual encounters at points, where the confronting works were particularly close to each other, no
general conflict took place, although the lists of casualities in the aggregate were considerable. On the 25th of March,
the Confederates made their desperate sortie upon Fort Stedman or Hell, a bold stroke, well planned and gallantly
executed, * * and aimed at the Union base of supplies and magazines at City Point. Had these been
captured and utilized, or even destroyed, a serious paralysis must have ensued. * The writer of this article, on
being asked some few days before it occurred, by the military editor of the Army and A'avy Journal, as to what
stroke of daring on the part of Lee held forth the greatest chances of success, this very course, and its consequences,
were distinctly indicated in detail. * * It is very curious that, in very many cases in the history of war, a
daring sortie in force constitutes the last chance of a successful defense. * * Lee's failure at Fort Stedman
may justly be considered the 'beginning of the end.' Fort Stedman was the Alpha to the Omega of Appomattox
Court House, the period to the existence of the war. On this same 25th oi March, when Lee made his great break
at Fort Stedman, Humphreys took advantage of the opportunity, went in on his front, as Wright—on the right of
the combined Second and Third corps—on his front, and by clearing away the principal obstacles accomplished a
result which so greatly co-operated in rendering Wright's triumph a sure thing on Sunday, April 2d following. Six
days afterward—March 31st—Warren, in advancing upon the White Oak Road to cut Lee's communication with his
extreme right, in air, at Five Forks, got a tremendous counter about 11 A. M., which in succession sent his divisions
reeling back, in turn, 'clubbed,' in confusion. It was then that Humphreys flashed out with one of those inspirations
of genius which demonstrate the combination of self-possession and quick perception, which take full advantage of
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the moment— the chance which, if suffered to escape, is gone forever. He launched his First Division, under Miles,
against the victorious Rebel front and flank, inflicted severe loss upon them, drove them back into their intrenchments,
and thus Humphreys' troops were the first to set their feet on the White Oak Road at this point, whither so many
efforts had tended only to end more or less in aggravated failures.
*
"On the 1st of April occurred the battle of Five Forks, so disastrous in its general consequences to Lee-a
veritable Coup de Jarnac to his holding Petersburg, and equally so in personal result to Warren. The glory of the
victory is generally scored for the cavalry, but generosity and individual conviction must accord the credit mark to
the infantry. * * During the 1st and 2d of April, the Second corps carried the Confederate works in its
front, and Humphreys' gallant lieutenant (Miles) won another laurel at Sutherland Station. Humphreys was of the
opinion that if the whole of his corps had been thrown upon Heath's division, then and there, it would have been
captured in tolo, which would have materially shortened the work of the next five weeks. As it w.as, he was shuttle
cocked to and fro, and finally shot back uselessly toward Petersburg, instead of being shot forward against Lee's line