Carson.] *-'^ [Dec. 5, 



readiness to admit of every palliation of bad conduct, without any weak- 

 ness or credulity of judgment, and his exalted admiration of woman. His 

 nature responded to his mother's gentlest touch, and she always spoke of 

 him as "my sympathizing child." 



Andrew Atkinson Humphreys was born in the city of Philadelphia, 

 November 2, 1810. As a boy, he was fearless, upright and honorable, 

 with a determined spirit of resistance to anything like tyranny or per- 

 sonal affront ; first in all manly sports and a leader in daring exploits. 

 His early education was received at " Tommy Watson's," the Germantown 

 Academy, and the school of an Englishman named Warren, who unfor- 

 tunately used the rod. To the indignity of personal chastisement young 

 Humphreys was too spirited to submit, and no command, entreaty or per- 

 suasion could induce him to return to the school, though the teacher him- 

 self called upon his parents, regretting the loss of a pupil of talents and 

 ability, and promising an entire change of treatment. He then went to 

 the Moravian school for boys at Nazareth, Pennsylvania. In after life 

 he frequently alluded with emotion to the happy days spent at the latter 

 institution, where he said he imbibed a taste for reading and music. Sub- 

 sequently, he had a private tutor, and in his seventeenth year went to 

 West Point, July 1, 1827 ; was graduated thirteenth in a class of thirty- 

 three, July 1, 1831, and was assigned to the Second Artillery, with the 

 rank of Brevet Second Lieutenant. Among his classmates were Roswell 

 Park, Henry Clay, a son of the distinguished statesman, George Turner, 

 Samuel C. Ridgeley, George H. Talcot, William H. Emory, William 

 Chapman, Thomas McKean, Henry Van Rensselaer, Edward Ogden, 

 Samuel G. Curtis, and James Williams.* 



He served in garrison at Fort Moultrie, S. C, in 1831 ; was assigned to 

 temporary duty at the United States Military Academy in 1832 ; to the 

 Cherokee Nation in 1832 and 1833; and to Augusta Arsenal, Ga., and 

 Fort Marion, Fla., 1833 and 1834. He was on Topographical dutj^ mak- 

 ing surveys in West Florida and at Cape Cod, Mass., in 1834 and 1835, 

 and participated in the Florida war against the Seminole Indians in 1836, 

 being engaged in the action of Oloklikaha, March 31, 1836, and the action 

 near Micanopy, June 9, 1836. 



On September 30, 1836, he resigned his commission as an oflBcer of the 

 United States Army, and during the years 1836-'88, as Civil Engineer, 

 assisted the late General Hartman Bache on the plans of Brandywiue 

 Shoal Lighthouse and Crow Shoal Breakwater, Delaware bay. 



Upon the re-organization of the Corps of Topographical Engineers in 

 1838, General Humphreys was re appointed in the Armj^ with the rank 

 of First Lieutenant in that Corps. 



He served in charge of works for the improvement of Chicago harbor, 

 111. ; as Assistant Topographical Engineer of survey of- Oswego harbor 

 defences, N. Y., and in charge of survey of Whitehall harbor, N. Y., in 



* Class of 1S31, Cullum'd Biograpbical Register of the Graduates of Wpst 

 Point. 



