Z 1832.000 Humphreys (Benjamin Grubb) Papers

Biographical Note.

On March 15, 1832, Humphreys married Mary McLaughlin. They settled on his property near the Big Black River in Claiborne County, where his wife died three years later. The Humphreys had two children, Thomas McLaughlin, who died at age four, and Mary Douglass. Humphreys entered the political arena in 1838 when he was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives as a Whig. In 1839, he was a successful candidate for the Mississippi Senate, and on December 3 of the same year, he was married to his second wife, Mildred Hickman Maury. Humphreys served in the Mississippi Senate from 1840 to 1844. Afterwards, he returned to work on his plantation until the outbreak of the Civil War. In 1861, he organized the Sunflower Guards that later fought in several Civil War campaigns in Virginia. He later assumed command of General William Barksdale's brigade after his death at Gettysburg. In 1863, Humphreys was promoted to brigadier general and served in the Army of Northern Virginia until the end of the war.

Humphreys was the first elected governor of Mississippi after the Civil War, and he served from October 2, 1865, to June 15, 1868, under the Reconstruction policies of President Andrew Johnson. During Humphreys' administration, the Black Code of 1865 was enacted; the United States Congress passed the Civil Rights Bill; the federal Military Reconstruction Act of 1867 became law; and greater provisions for destitute soldiers and families were provided. Humphreys also obtained the release of Jefferson Davis on bail. Shortly after being reelected in 1868, he was ousted from office by federal military authorities and was succeeded by military governor Adelbert Ames of Massachusetts. This was achieved under the Reconstruction Act of 1867.

After leaving office, Humphreys worked as an insurance agent for the New York Life Insurance Company in both Jackson and Vicksburg. He eventually retired to his plantation in Leflore County where he died on December 20, 1882. He was survived by four children of his second marriage: Mildred Maury, John Barnes, David Smith, and Benjamin George Humphreys.

Scope and Content Note.

Series Identification and Description.

1. Correspondence (Incoming and Outgoing). 1854; 1856; 1860–1878; 1882–1887; undated. 197 items. This series contains the personal and gubernatorial correspondence of Benjamin G. Humphreys. The principal correspondents are Benjamin G.; Mildred, also referred to as "Minna"; Fannie; and Barnes Humphreys; James H. Maury; J. E. Johnston; Tully S. Gibson; L. Q. C. Lamar; and General Adelbert Ames. The personal letters mainly pertain to Humphreys and Maury family matters. Among Humphreys' gubernatorial correspondence are requests for monetary assistance from destitute citizens of the state. Of special importance is a letter dated July 30, 1864, relating battle information and containing a holographic map of the James River at Malvern Hill, Virginia. There are also letters from Confederate soldiers requesting Humphreys' aid in order to obtain release from military prisons. One letter dated September 20, 1868, details the removal of Humphreys from his governorship. Another letter from L. Q. C. Lamar dated May 22, 1876, relates confidential news from Washington, D.C., about the 1876 national elections. Arranged chronologically.
2. Military Records. 1861; 1863–1865; undated. 11 items. This series contains assorted military records of Benjamin G. Humphreys. Included are Humphreys' promotion orders dated August 12, 1863, stating that General Robert E. Lee was to be his reporting officer; a certificate recommending a furlough extension dated January 5, 1864, granted to Humphreys for medical reasons; a certificate paroling Humphreys on May 22, 1865; Humphreys' sworn statement of allegiance to the Union dated 1865; a questionnaire from the Office of the Superintendent of Army Records in Jackson, that relates Humphreys' military background including a wound he received; and an undated list of battles and skirmishes Humphreys' brigade participated in with strengths and losses of each. There is also photostat of special orders Humphreys received from the commander, headquarters of the Army of Northern Virginia, expressing appreciation to the soldiers of Mississippi for their participation in the Civil War engagements in northern Virginia, 1864. Arranged chronologically.
3. Petition. Undated. 1 item. This series contains a petition signed by various citizens of Mississippi to President Andrew Johnson seeking the restoration of Benjamin G. Humphreys' civil rights following the Civil War.
4. Maps. Undated. 3 items. This series contains two holographic Civil War maps and one printed Civil War map, all of which are undated. One holographic map is of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, and the other is of the south bank of the Rappahannock River in Virginia. The published map is of the battlefield of Chickahominy, Virginia.
5. Composition. Undated. 1 item. This series contains an anonymous undated holographic composition entitled "The Coming Man."
6. Newspapers. 1874; 1876. 2 items. This series contains single issues of two newspapers, The Daily Vicksburger, Vicksburg, February 18, 1874, and the Lynchburg Tri-Weekly Virginian, March 10, 1876.
7. Miscellany. 1808; 1850; 1854; 1856; 1860; 1863–1872; 1874–1875; undated. 48 items. This series contains miscellaneous documents including a loan agreement from Prince William County, Virginia, dated 1808; a land patent dated 1850; an insurance stock certificate dated 1869; Humphreys' voter-registration card dated 1872; grocery and cotton receipts; newspaper clippings; and an early cheesecake recipe. Arranged chronologically.