Benjamin G. Humphreys
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Benjamin Grubb Humphreys | |
|---|---|
| August 26, 1808 – December 20, 1882 (aged 74) | |
 |
|
| Place of birth | Claiborne County, Mississippi |
| Place of death | Jackson, Mississippi |
| Allegiance | Confederate States of America |
| Service/branch | Confederate States Army |
| Years of service | 1861–65 |
| Rank | Brigadier General |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
| Other work | Governor of Mississippi |
Benjamin Grubb Humphreys (August 26, 1808 – December 20, 1882) was an American politician from Mississippi. He was a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War and served as Governor of Mississippi from 1865 to 1868, during Reconstruction.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Humphreys was born in Claiborne County, Mississippi, on the Bayou Pierre. He was educated in New Jersey and enrolled at West Point in the same class as Robert E. Lee. However, he was expelled when he participated in a "Christmas frolic" that ended up turning into a riot. Upon his return to Mississippi, he was elected to the state senate representing his native county and served from 1839 to 1844. In 1846, he moved to Sunflower County, Mississippi, founded Itta Bena, and continued as a planter.
[edit] Civil War
Humphreys was commissioned a captain in the Confederate States Army in 1861 and was subsequently promoted to brigadier general after the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.
[edit] Political career
In October 1865, he was elected as a Democrat and sworn in as the 26th Governor of Mississippi under President Andrew Johnson's Reconstruction plan. He won re-election in 1868 and continued with a second term, but with the beginning of Congressional control of Reconstruction he was physically removed by occupying U.S. armed forces on June 15 of that year. Afterwards, he entered a career in insurance in Jackson, Mississippi. He continued there until his retirement in 1877 to his plantation where he died in 1882.
[edit] In memoriam
Counties in Mississippi and Tennessee are named after him. His son, also named Benjamin G. Humphreys, entered into a political career of his own. He became a Congressman and was on the Harbors and Rivers Committee, where he was instrumental in the successful amendment that created and added Levees to the charter of the commission.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Mississippi History
- History Central
- Benjamin G. Humphreys at Find A Grave Retrieved on 2007-12-16
| Preceded by William L. Sharkey |
Governor of Mississippi 1865-1868 |
Succeeded by Adelbert Ames |
|
|||||||
