The collection is open for research.
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Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Henry P. Humphreys Letter, Ms1989-090, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
The Henry P. Humphreys Letter was donated to Special Collections and University Archives in 1989.
The processing and description of the Henry P. Humphreys Letter commenced and was completed in February 2022.
Henry Perry Humphreys, son of Hiram and Deborah Veits Case Humphreys, was born in Kentucky or Indiana on October 20, 1837. He married Elizabeth Ann Fisher (1841-1905); the couple would have five children. The 1860 federal census lists the family living and farming in Mineral (Bureau County), Illinois. On September 18, 1862, Humphreys (as Henry Humphries) enlisted in Company C, 14th Missouri Infantry, which later became the 66th Illinois Infantry, at Sheffield, Illinois. He was discharged on August 16, 1864, to accept promotion to first lieutenant and adjutant of the 5th U. S. Colored Troops. Following the war, Humphreys returned to Bureau County; the 1870 federal census shows the Humphreys living in Concord, with Henry employed as a photographer. By 1880, Humphreys was working as a merchant. Henry P. Humphreys died on September 19, 1912, and was buried in Sheffield Cemetery.
This collection consists of a single letter written by Henry P. Humphreys of Company C, 66th Illinois Infantry, to his sister, Emeline (Phebe Emeline Humphreys). Writing from headquaters of the left wing, XVI Army Corps at Big Shanty, Georgia, Humphreys reports from the Atlanta Campaign and describes the death of Confederate General Leonidas Polk. He briefly describes the Confederate defenses and favors a flank movement to overcome them. Humphreys continues by expressing concern over the recent depreciation of U. S. currency and the growth of debt ("I fear our national debt will get so large we will none of us outlive it."), then expresses confidence in the Union's generals.
The guide to the Henry P. Humphreys Letter by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).
This collection had been donated, accessioned, and originally cataloged as the "Henry P. Humphrey Letter." Examination of the signature and of various military records and other documents suggested that the "Henry P. Humphreys Letter" would be the more accurate title, though some records show the surname as Humphrey or Humphries.