The Humphreys family in America - citizen hylbom blog

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"In llir tliicc l.i4t hmirs of lii^ life, wImiIj, a-, yuu kii'Piv, I had tlic yratifitatioii uf spending
with him, wc had a very satisfactory and soul-cheering conversation, in which, among other
questions, I asked him if his mind was resigned and calm in view of the solemn change. He
answered promptly, "Perfectly, perfectly." Thm he died as he had lived, and left but few his
equal behind him.
"As far as my acquaintance. goes, his character stands unrivaled, and I may say unequaled.
I have never known any man who combined so many qualities, especially in his moral character,
to be admired, and so few to be disapproved. No human mind can compute his loss to his
friends, to society, and especially to the church.
"His father, as he turned away, after witnessing the last enemy conquered, remarked, 'No
man ever raised a more pleasant son.' His society was courted by all classes—the old and the
young, the refined and the rude, and while he had the remarkable talent of making himself
agreeable to all, he possessed the rare gift of doing so without compromising his Christian character.
"A. L. Hogshead."
John Moore,'' b. in 1820; m. in 1850, Sallie J. Garland, who died. He is the tallest
of the brothers, being six feet one inch in height; of erect figure and fine appear-
ance. Excepting the four years of the war, life was spent as a farmer. However,
had he received a military education, as he desired, arms would have been his
profession, to which, in many respects, he was adapted in an unusual degree.
A man of high spirit, firmness of purpose, and self-reliant determination, of
good common sense and discriminating judgment that, during the war, gained for
him the soubriquet of "Judge." Of undaunted courage, and a natural talent for
governing men, he needed nothing but an opportunity to have taken a high position
in a military career.
He volunteered early in the war, from a sense of duty and not from impulse,
but fully appreciating the desperate struggle commencing. Being too modest and
unselfish to push himself forward, he entered the 52d Virginia Reg't, as a private
in Co. I. As I St Lieut., in command of the company at the battle of McDowell,
he was severely wounded in the face, having his teeth knocked out and his face
terribly lacerated, yet he Ment to the Colonel and asked that his company might
be relieved, as they were in a position that men could not live. The Colonel's
reply was, "Captain, you go to the rear; everybody knows you are brave; I will
protect your company." He was again wounded at the battle of Spottsylvania
Court House, while commanding the company, as Captain. At the battle of Cold
Harbor, being in command of the regiment, his position in line of battle threw
him in an old field, and when they arrived at the fence, they found that they were
in advance of the rest of the line, the charge of which had been arrested, and were
exposed to a concentrated fire of the enemy, while the only protection they had
was the doubtful one of the fence. To remain was impossible, and to retreat
through the open field was almost certain annihilation. Many noble men fell,
among whom was Lieut. Robert Patterson McFarland, a cousin of Gen. Robert
Patterson, of Philadelphia, and son of Rev. Francis McFarland, D. D. There
was a narrow open space between their position and the nearest woods, across
which the men ran in squads and singly. This attracted the attention of the
enemy, and caused them to concentrate their fire on those attempting to run the
gauntlet, so that it sometimes happened that individuals were completely concealed
by the cloud of dust raised by the balls striking around them. Over this space
the commander of the regiment, though wounded in the great toe, made his way,
as best he could, and going to the commander of the nearest brigade, asked him
to advance his troops so as to allow his regiment an ujiportunity to get out of
their perilous position.