Benjamin Humphrey joined the Union Army in 1861, why does his journal not begin until July of 1862?
This was a question we asked ourselves as we worked on getting the journal ready for publication. We have 2 possible theories. First, it is possible that in July of 1862 Benjamin assumed more responsibility within the company that required additional record keeping. Second, perhaps there is a missing journal. Benjamin could have sent it home and it was lost on the way or maybe it was lost by Benjamin himself during his service.
Where is Capt. Humphrey buried?
At this time we have not located Benjamin’s final resting place. He was in Payne County Oklahoma the fall of 1895 because he is listed as witness of his daughter Dora’s wedding. Since he passed away the middle of December of that year, it is highly possible that he was still in that area. We are also unsure of the exact location of his wife Sarah’s grave. Her parents and brother were buried in the Fredonia City Cemetery, Fredonia, KS.
Civil War records show Capt. Humphrey collected a military pension as an invalid. What was his disability?
Many soldiers suffered disabilities due to the harsh conditions and poor diet they endured during their long service. Benjamin was ill and hospitalized just before his discharge from the Union Army so it could have related to that but we also know he suffered from piles. Piles would commonly be known today as hemorrhoids.
You stated Benjamin was born in Crawfordsville, Indiana. US Census records show his parents in Crawford County Indiana which is not where Crawfordsville is located. Where did you obtain your information?
Dora Della Humphrey, Benjamin’s daughter, was doing some genealogy research around 1928 and kept her information in a notebook. We have the original notebook where she kept her notes. She clearly states her father’s birthplace as Crawfordsville. In the absence of any other documents, we have to use her firsthand knowledge and research.
On Ancestry I have seen Benjamin with “F”. for his middle initial. Is that possibly correct?
Writing from the 1800’s is difficult to read. We needed expert help to interpret some of Benjamin’s journal. A “T” often looks like an “F”.
Dora wrote her father’s middle name clearly as Tolbert. If you use “Find a Grave” you may notice, his daughter, Arminda’s information lists him as Talbert. Because Dora’s information was written personally and not transcribed from another record, we chose her spelling of his middle name. His military records use the initial T.