Andrew Humphreys, U.S. Congress

Andrew Humphreys (March 30, 1821 - June 14, 1904) was a U.S. Representative from Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana, who served in the Forty-fourth Congress. Prior to the American Civil War, Humphreys was as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives (1849 to 1852, and January 8 to March 9, 1857), and an Indian agent for Utah. In 1864 Humphreys was a defendant in a controversial trial by a military commission that convened on October 21 at Indianapolis, where he and three others were convicted of treason. Humphreys was sentenced to hard labor for the remainder of the war, but the sentence was modified three weeks later to allow for his release (Humphreys was required to remain within two specific townships in Greene County, and could not participate in any acts that opposed the war). At the end of the war, Humphreys resumed a career in politics, which included terms in Forty-fourth Congress (December 5, 1876 to March 3, 1877) and the Indiana Senate (1874 to 1876, 1878 to 1882, and 1896 to 1900). (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Sources

• "Andrew Humphreys." Wikipedia, revision of 9 August 2023. < link > Accessed 1 October 2023.
• "Andrew Humphreys." Find a Grave. < link > Accessed 1 October 2023.

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HON. ANDREW HUMPHREYS who for so many years has been the most prominent politician in Greene County, and the confessed leader of the local Democracy, was born in Anderson County, Tenn., on the 20th of March, 1821. His parents early moved to Putnam County, Ind., where he was reared to manhood, receiving but a limited education at the district schools. In 1840, his marriage with Miss Eliza Johnson, daughter of Jonah Johnson, of Ohio, occurred, and two years later he moved to Greene County, where his parents had preceded him, and where they lived until their respective deaths--the mother in 1861, and the father in 1863. Upon his arrival in the new county, Mr. Humphreys commenced working at his trade--blacksmithing--but a year later took his first step in the long political career which has given him a State and even National reputation. He was elected Justice of the Peace in 1843, and re-elected in 1846, serving until 1849. He had scarcely reached the county ere he began the study of law, and the perusal of the works of the best minds of past centuries, for he was aspiring, energetic, self-poised and confident, and felt that he had abilities for greater fields of usefulness than his shop afforded. In the time from 1842 to 1849, his experience of men and parties ripened, his mind expanded under rigid self-instruction, and he was fully fitted for his illustrious political career. In 1849, he was nominated for the Legislature by the Democracy against Marcus H. Shryer, the most prominent Whig at that time in the county, and to the surprise of many was elected by 130 majority. He was re-nominated in 1850 against Edward Beasly, and again carried the election by 129 majority. In 1851, he defeated R. H. Rousseau, a very popular, able and brilliant man, by 190 majority. In 1852, he defeated Major Livingston for the State Senate by thirty-eight majority. In 1854, he was elected Representative over Mr. Throop by 600 majority, and in 1856, defeated Edward Beasly for the same position by a majority of 32. In 1859, President Buchanan appointed him Indian Agent of the Territory of Utah, which position he held with the highest credit until September, 1861, when he resigned. During a portion of this time, he was Assistant United States Marshal of Utah Territory, which he resinged in June, 1860. In 1867, he suffered his first and last defeat. He was candidate for the Legislature, but was defeated by Thomas R. Mason by ninety votes. The majority against the remainder of the ticket was in the hundreds. In 1864, he retired Mr. Mason for the State Senate in the district composed of the counties of Greene and Daviess by 562 votes. His majority in his own county was 351. In 1876, he resigned his seat in the Senate and was elected to Congress to fill the unexpired term of Gov. Williams. He was nominated in 1878 for Senator against his protest, and defeated J. R. Baxter by fifty-four majority, and at this session was made Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, a merited acknowledgment of his leadership in the House.

Stockton twp.

Source: History of Greene and Sullivan Counties, state of Indiana: from the earliest time to the present, together with interesting biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc. Chicago: Goodspeed Bros. & Co., 1884 824 pgs. page 375.

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