David Benefiel

ARCH 573
Dr. Seager
November 20, 2003

Biography of the Honorable Andrew K. Humphreys

Born near Knoxville, Tennessee in Knox County on March 30, 1821 to Hanson
Humphreys and Mary Ellis, Andrew Humphreys was raised in nearby Anderson County until the
age of six1, when his parents moved to Putnam County, Indiana near the city of Greencastle.
(Biographical Memoirs of Greene County, 691) His educational background consisted of the
lessons of the common school, but he was said to have had the best that could then be had
without the expenditure of a great deal of money. (IN State Legislature, 1875, 54) At a very
early age, he assumed responsibility for the office of Constable in Putnam County. (IN State
Legislature, 1879, 122) In 1840 he married Miss Eliza Johnson, daughter of Jerriah Johnson of
Ohio. (Biographical Memoirs of Greene County, 692) Soon after his marriage in 1841, Mr.
Humphreys and his bride moved south to Greene County, Indiana residing near the city of
Linton. There, he served the county as a blacksmith and a farmer, as well as operating a
distillery and serving the region as a lawyer. (IN State Legislature, 1980, 198) He had six
children with his wife Eliza: Sallie A., Emeline, Levi, Albert G., James Henry2, and Andrew.
(Martinson, 3375)

Andrew Humphreys parents moved from Tennessee to Indiana in 1827. (Biographical Memoirs of Greene
County, 691)
2
His grandson Andrew Humphreys, son of James Henry Humphreys, was also an active Linton businessman
serving as secretary and treasurer of the Peoples Trust Company and an alumnus of Indiana State Teachers College
(Ball State University). John Henry also followed in his fathers footsteps and served two terms in the Indiana State
Senate. (Barnhart, 610)
1

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From 1843 to 1849, Mr. Humphreys served two terms as Justice of the Peace for Greene
County. (Biographical Memoirs of Greene County, 692) During this period, he enlisted in the
Indiana Militia, 47th Regiment and while enrolled achieved the status of 1st Lieutenant in 1846
and as a Major in 1847. (IN State Legislature, 1980, 198) It was not until 1849 that he began his
career in state politics; as he was elected to the lower house of the state legislature in November
of that same year. (IN State Legislature, 1897) He remained a vital part of the Indiana State
Legislature for several years following, representing Greene County until 1853 when he was
elected state senator from Greene and Owen Counties. (IN State Legislature, 1897)
In 1857, President James Buchanan appointed him Indian Agent to the Utah Territory,
which at that time encompassed present day Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and parts of Idaho and
Colorado. He was present during the Utah War between U.S. Military Forces and the Utah
Territorial Militia, led by Governor Brigham Young. (Nielson, 2003) While serving in this
capacity, Mr. Humphreys was appointed deputy United States marshal by Marshall Peter K.
Dodson. He served in this capacity until he resigned in June of 1860 and returned to Greene
County, Indiana. (IN State Legislature, 1897)
Once he returned to Greene County, he continued as an active voice of politics
throughout the region. An avid Democrat, Andrew Humphreys supported the option of the
Southern States to secede from the Union. (Pitman, 182) Seeing an opportunity to reclaim his
position of leadership and further the Democratic Party, Mr. Humphreys joined the Order of
American Knights3 in August of 1863 at a meeting in Terre Haute, Indiana and became leader of
the Greene County Lodge. (Tredway, 222-223) Stemming from this society of Democratic
Politicians were several associated secret societies disbursed throughout the northwestern and
Created by Phineas C. Wright, this secret society was expected to promote fraternalism and fellowship, after the
style of the Freemasons and Odd Fellows with a massive effort to educate the people at large in matters relating
to government, with states rights glorified as a cardinal principle. (Klement, 1984, 65)
3

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southern states. Unbeknownst to him, many of the members of these societies, including several
sects, had plans of sabotage and conspiracy against the United States Government. (Pittman,
181) During a gathering of Democratic supporters of these groups opposing war; many in favor
of the option of secession, a crowd of two or three hundred gathered in Sullivan, Indiana. Once
he heard of the commotion, Mr. Humphreys left Linton to intervene in the situation, but because
of his presence and his word spoken to his parishioners; a misconception of his purpose at this
meeting led the United States Government to accusations of his participation and support of
secession. (Pitman, 181) In result of a petition which alleged that the plaintiff was a member of
a military organization hostile to the United States, known as the Sons of Liberty4, the object of
which was to aid the rebels in arms in the southern States to overthrow the Government,
Andrew Humphreys was arrested in Greene County on October 7, 1864. (IN Supreme Court,
1866) Known as the Northwestern Conspiracy5, a series of trials for treason were held in
Indianapolis. Mr. Humphreys was tried against these allegations in November of 1866, but
found innocent. (IN Supreme Court, 1866) He did, however, claim that he agreed with a states
right to secede, but he did not condone the violence which these secret societies were to have
planned. (Pittman, 182)
Ironically6, his perseverance was successful and he returned to state politics in 1874,
elected state senator of Greene and Daviess Counties. (IN State Legislature, 1897) He served
only two years for these counties, because late in 1876, he resigned in order to succeed James

A secret society created by Harrison H. Dodd as an extension of the Democratic Party based on conservative
constitutional based views of the founding fathers. (Klement, 1984, 102)
5
The Northwest Conspiracy was a plan devised to overthrow the Government of the United States in support of the
southern secessionist views and dissolve all constitutional relations with the New England States.. (Klement,
1960, 53)
6
The Greene County blacksmith seems to have been the only one of the four men tried by the commission who
had a political career after the war. (Tredway, 371)

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Douglas Uncle Jimmy Williams7 as congressman for the 2nd district of Indiana, to allow him to
take the office of Governor of the state. (IN State Legislature, 1897) This included him in the
memorable Forty-Fourth Congress, which decided the celebrated Hayes and Tilden
controversy.8 (IN State Legislature, 1897) On February 4, 1883, Eliza Johnson Humphreys, his
wife of 43 years, died. (Kraus) On September 9, 1889, he married his second wife, Julia
Rhodenbeck, of Switz City, in Greene County. (Martinson, 3375) Between the years of 1889
and 1905, he built a home, for himself and his wife Julia, at 100 East Vincennes Street near the
outer edge of the Linton business district. (Greene County, 1889) He again vied for the office of
state representative, but lost to his opponent in 1892. (IN State Legislature, 1980, 198) But he
did overcome and served in the state senate in 1894 as a representative from Greene and Sullivan
County. (IN State Legislature, 1897) During his political career, he voted for eight democratic
candidates for US Senator, seven that were elected; and voted for every Democratic candidate
for president from 1844 until his death. (IN State Legislature, 1897)
Andrew Humphreys died at his home in Linton at 83 years of age on June 24, 1904.
(Tredway, 372) He is buried with his first wife, Eliza, in the Humphreys Cemetery, also known
as the Old Moss Cemetery; located on the original homestead Aquilla and Sarah Harrah Moss.9
(Kraus) His surname as bears the name of the local park, named Humphreys Park because of his
families generous donation to the city of Linton. In 1908, the heirs of Honorable Andrew
Humphreys donated the land for the Public Library in Linton, Indiana; funded by the Andrew
Carnegie Foundation. Today, the Margaret Cooper Public Library, a National Historic
Landmark, holds an original inscription set in stained glass, Site of Home of Andrew
7

James Douglas Williams held the office of Governor of Indiana from 1877 until 1880, when he died in office.
(Political Graveyard: Biographies)
8
The trial of Hayes v. Tilden was a monumental court case centered around the controversy over the Electoral
College. (Adler, 2003)
9
Grandparents of his son-in-law, Joseph Moss. (Biographical Memoirs of Greene County, 307)

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Humphreys; Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jos. Moss10; located in the first floor office window. (US
Dept. of Interior, 7.3)

10

Son-in-law of Andrew Humphreys and wife of Sallie A. Humphreys. (Biographical Memoirs of Greene County,
307)