Clipped paper meas. approx. 3.50 x 1.50 inches and reads “A. A. HUMPHREYS, BRIG. GENL. VOLS., WASH. FEBY. 3D, 1863” in three lines. All writing is done in ink and is strong and legible. Paper is also very clean.

Andrew Atkinson Humphreys was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 2, 1810. He graduated from the United States Military Academy on July 1, 1831 and was appointed a 2nd Lieutenant in the 2nd US Artillery at Fort Moultrie, South Carolina.

In 1836 Humphreys went with his regiment to Florida and saw action in the First Seminole War. Becoming ill he resigned from the Army on September 30, 1836 and for two years worked as a civil engineer on government projects. Humphrey’s rejoined the Army as a 1st Lieutenant in the Topographical Engineers on July 7, 1838. Humphreys was assigned to Washington State and was appointed Captain in 1848. During the 1850’s he worked on different projects to include studies of the Mississippi River and finding a practical route for the Transcontinental Railroad.

At the outbreak of the Civil War Humphreys was promoted to Major and assigned as Chief Topographical Engineer of the Army of the Potomac. He was promoted a Brigadier General on April 28, 1862 and on September 12th was given command of the 3rd Division of the 5th Corps. He led this Division at Antietam, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. On May 23, 1863 Humphrey’s was transferred to command of the 2nd Division, 3rd Corps which he led at Gettysburg.

Soon after the battle of Gettysburg on July 8, 1863 Humphreys was promoted to Major General and assumed the duty of General Meade’s Chief of Staff. Humphreys served Meade until November of 1864 when he took command of the 2nd Corps. This was a command Humphreys held to the end of the war. For his services he was promoted to Brigadier General and Major General by brevet in the Regular Army in March of 1865.

After the war Humphreys was made a Brigadier General in the Regular Army and in 1866 was assigned as Chief of Engineers. He held this post till he retired from the Army on June 30, 1879.

After retiring from the Army Humphreys wrote a number of scientific engineering books and his memories of the war. He died in Washington, D.C. on December 27, 1883 and was buried there in the Congressional Cemetery.

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