History of Itta Bena, (Leflore County) Mississippi United States of America

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Benjamin Grubb Humphreys, governor of Mississippi, was born at "The Hermitage" near Port Gibson, Chaiborne 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; the other, Maj. David Smith was air officer in Jackson's army and won distinction in the war of 1812, being promoted major for conspicuous gallantry at the battle of New Orleans. He received his preparatory education at Morristown, N.J., and entered the U.S. Military academy where be remained three years, when, with thirty-nine triter cadets, he was expelled for participating 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 Domecratic party on account of his opposition to the policy of President Jackson and was elected a representative in the Mississippi legislature as an Independent. In 1839 he was elected a state senator by the Whigs. He became prominent in the politics of the state by his determined stand against secession. At the outbreak of the civil war, however, be raised a company for the Confederate service, of which he was captain. He was promoted colonel of the 21st Mississippi regiment in 1862 and saw his first battle at Savage's Station, June 29, 1862, which was followed by the succession of engagements, closing with Malvern Hill, where he was specially commended by General Lee. His regiment was in the 3d brigade of Magruder's division; was transferred to Kershaw's brigade, McLaws's division, and took part at Sharpsburg; and again transferred to Barksdale's brigade, taking part at Fredericksburg, Dec. 13, 1862, Chancellorsville, May 1-4, 1863, and Gettysburg, July 1-3, 1863. His regiment charged through the Peach Orchard at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863, and reached the farthest point attained by Lee's army, further than that attained by Pickett on the third day. He destroyed Bigelow's 9th Massachusetts battery, and led the brigade after Barksdale received his mortal wound early on July 2. Immediately after the battle he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general and was assigned to the command of Barksdale's brigade, which was made up of the 13th, 17th, 18th and 21st Mississippi regiments. The corps of Longstreet was transferred to Bragg's army in the west and his brigade stormed Snodgrass Hill, Chickamauga, Sept. 20, 1863, and on being again transferred to the army of Northern Virginia, he took part in the campaign against Grant in the succession of battles from the Wilderness to Cold Harbor, May-June, 1864. He commanded his brigade in the battle of Cedar Creek, Oct. 19, 1864, and in the operations of Gen. Jubal A. Early's army in the valley. He was severely wounded at Berryville, Va., Sept. 3, 1864, and on recovering was returned to Longstreet's corps and took part in the siege of Petersburg and defence of Richmond, December, 1864. He commanded the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana in 1865, and his army was released on parole at the close of the war. He was elected governor of Mississippi in 1865, and in 1867, under the act of congress submitting certain constitutional provisions for adoption by the several states, he was elected by the opposition party. In 1868 he refused to surrender his office to the military governor appointed under the reconstruction acts and be was thereupon forcibly ejected from the executive office and later from the governor's mansion. He then entered the insurance business in partnership with Gen. Joseph E. Johnston in Vicksburg, where he remained until 1877, when he retired to his plantation, Itta Bena, Leflore county, Miss. He contributed numerous articles to periodicals and left in MS. The War on the Southern States. He died at Itta Bena, Miss., Dec. 20, 1882.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Itta Bena, (Leflore County) Mississippi

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