William Y.C. Humes
Encyclopedia
William Young Conn Humes (May 1, 1830 – September 11, 1883) was an American
educator, lawyer, and soldier. He served as a Confederate
cavalry
general during the American Civil War
, in which he was wounded twice, and fought mainly in the Western Theater
of the conflict. Afterward Humes resumed practicing law until his death.
, located in Washington County, Virginia
. He was a son of John Newton Humes and his wife Jance Conn White, and he was a cousin of Thomas W. Humes
, a lawyer and politician. Because his father had lost his fortune, William Humes needed to borrow money to finish his initial education.
Humes entered the Virginia Military Institute
(VMI) on November 20, 1848, and graduated second in a class of 29 cadets on July 4, 1851, making him a "distinguished graduate." While attending VMI, Humes was a classmate of Alfred J. Vaughan, who also would serve as a Confederate general in the Civil War.
After graduating, Humes became a teacher to pay off his financial debts. In 1854 he married another resident of Abingdon named Margaret Preston White, with whom he had two sons. He then relocated to Knoxville, Tennessee
, where he read law and became a lawyer. In 1858 he moved to Memphis
and began a successful law practice. Humes was still a lawyer in Memphis when the American Civil War began.
. Humes was posted to the Confederate fortifications protecting the Mississippi River
near New Madrid
, and was given command of the artillery
guns there. He was still part the garrison when it surrendered, and was captured by Union
forces on April 7. Humes was imprisoned at Johnson's Island
located in Sandusky Bay
in Ohio, until he was exchanged in September 1862.
On March 15, 1863, Humes was promoted to the rank of major
and assigned to command the artillery of Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler
's cavalry corps. He participated in the Battle of Farmington
on October 7, and was wounded in a foot during the fight. Upon recovery, Humes was promoted to brigadier general on November 16. He was then given brigade
command in Wheeler's cavalry, leaving the artillery service. He also fought during the Battle of Lookout Mountain
and the Battle of Missionary Ridge
of the Chattanooga Campaign
in the fall of 1863.
Humes participated in the Atlanta Campaign
of late 1863 and into the summer of 1864, and fought at the Battle of Brown's Mill
on July 30, 1864. He then fought during Wheeler's 1864 Raid
into Tennessee that fall, now leading a cavalry division
. He then resisted Sherman's March to the Sea
in late 1864, and fought during the Battle of Buck Head Creek
on November 28. After his wife Margaret died, Humes married Sallie Elder in 1864, and the couple would have four children together. Humes then participated in the Carolinas Campaign
of 1865, and fought during the Confederate victory at the Battle of Monroe's Crossroads
on March 10, where he was wounded in a leg, and he also fought in the Battle of Bentonville
from March 19–21. Near the end of the American Civil War, Humes surrendered with Gen. Joseph E. Johnston
on April 26, although there is no record of an individual parole or pardon.
and again practiced law. Humes died there in Huntsville
in 1833, and his body was brought back to Memphis where it was buried in Elmwood Cemetery.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
educator, lawyer, and soldier. He served as a Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
general during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, in which he was wounded twice, and fought mainly in the Western Theater
Western Theater of the American Civil War
This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.-Theater of operations:...
of the conflict. Afterward Humes resumed practicing law until his death.
Early life and career
William Y.C. Humes was born in 1830 in the town of AbingdonAbingdon, Virginia
Abingdon is a town in Washington County, Virginia, USA, 133 miles southwest of Roanoke. The population was 8,191 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Washington County and is a designated Virginia Historic Landmark...
, located in Washington County, Virginia
Washington County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 51,103 people, 21,056 households, and 14,949 families residing in the county. The population density was 91 people per square mile . There were 22,985 housing units at an average density of 41 per square mile...
. He was a son of John Newton Humes and his wife Jance Conn White, and he was a cousin of Thomas W. Humes
Thomas William Humes
Thomas William Humes was an American clergyman and educator, active in Knoxville, Tennessee, during the latter half of the 19th century. Elected rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in 1846, Humes led the church until the outbreak of the Civil War, when he was forced to resign due to his Union...
, a lawyer and politician. Because his father had lost his fortune, William Humes needed to borrow money to finish his initial education.
Humes entered the Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
(VMI) on November 20, 1848, and graduated second in a class of 29 cadets on July 4, 1851, making him a "distinguished graduate." While attending VMI, Humes was a classmate of Alfred J. Vaughan, who also would serve as a Confederate general in the Civil War.
After graduating, Humes became a teacher to pay off his financial debts. In 1854 he married another resident of Abingdon named Margaret Preston White, with whom he had two sons. He then relocated to Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, where he read law and became a lawyer. In 1858 he moved to Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
and began a successful law practice. Humes was still a lawyer in Memphis when the American Civil War began.
Civil War service
When the Civil War began in 1861, Humes chose to follow his home states and the Confederate cause. On March 16 he was appointed a first lieutenant in the Confederate Regular Artillery, on May 13 he was commissioned a first lieutenant in the volunteer forces, and that June was promoted to captain of artilleryField artillery in the American Civil War
Field artillery in the American Civil War refers to the important artillery weapons, equipment, and practices used by the Artillery branch to support the infantry and cavalry forces in the field. It does not include siege artillery, use of artillery in fixed fortifications, or coastal or naval...
. Humes was posted to the Confederate fortifications protecting the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
near New Madrid
Battle of Island Number Ten
The Battle of Island Number Ten was an engagement at the New Madrid or Kentucky Bend on the Mississippi River during the American Civil War, lasting from February 28 to April 8, 1862. The position, an island at the base of a tight double turn in the course of the river, was held by the Confederates...
, and was given command of the artillery
Field artillery in the American Civil War
Field artillery in the American Civil War refers to the important artillery weapons, equipment, and practices used by the Artillery branch to support the infantry and cavalry forces in the field. It does not include siege artillery, use of artillery in fixed fortifications, or coastal or naval...
guns there. He was still part the garrison when it surrendered, and was captured by Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
forces on April 7. Humes was imprisoned at Johnson's Island
Johnson's Island
Johnson's Island is a island in Sandusky Bay, located on the coast of Lake Erie, 3 miles from the city of Sandusky, Ohio. It was the site of a prisoner-of-war camp for Confederate officers captured during the American Civil War. Johnson's Island was the only Union prison exclusively for Southern...
located in Sandusky Bay
Sandusky Bay
Sandusky Bay is a body of water situated in between Erie, Ottawa, and Sandusky counties in the U.S. state of Ohio and just to the south of Lake Erie. Sandusky Bay runs from Muddy Creek Bay to Cedar Point, which is part of Sandusky....
in Ohio, until he was exchanged in September 1862.
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
and assigned to command the artillery of Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler
Joseph Wheeler
Joseph Wheeler was an American military commander and politician. He has the rare distinction of serving as a general during war time for two opposing forces: first as a noted cavalry general in the Confederate States Army in the 1860s during the American Civil War, and later as a general in the...
's cavalry corps. He participated in the Battle of Farmington
Battle of Farmington
The Battle of Farmington is a name given to two different battles during the American Civil War − one in Tennessee, the other in Mississippi.The Battle at Farmington, Tennessee was fought October 7, 1863 in Farmington, Marshall County, Tennessee. It ended in a Confederate victory...
on October 7, and was wounded in a foot during the fight. Upon recovery, Humes was promoted to brigadier general on November 16. He was then given brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
command in Wheeler's cavalry, leaving the artillery service. He also fought during the Battle of Lookout Mountain
Battle of Lookout Mountain
The Battle of Lookout Mountain was fought November 24, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga Campaign of the American Civil War. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker assaulted Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, Tennessee, and defeated Confederate forces commanded by Maj. Gen. Carter L. Stevenson....
and the Battle of Missionary Ridge
Battle of Missionary Ridge
The Battle of Missionary Ridge was fought November 25, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the Union victory in the Battle of Lookout Mountain on November 24, Union forces under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant assaulted Missionary Ridge and defeated the...
of the Chattanooga Campaign
Chattanooga Campaign
The Chattanooga Campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in October and November 1863, during the American Civil War. Following the defeat of Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans's Union Army of the Cumberland at the Battle of Chickamauga in September, the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Gen...
in the fall of 1863.
Humes participated in the Atlanta Campaign
Atlanta Campaign
The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
of late 1863 and into the summer of 1864, and fought at the Battle of Brown's Mill
Battle of Brown's Mill
The Battle of Brown's Mill was fought July 30, 1864, in Coweta County, Georgia, during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. Edward M. McCook's Union cavalry, on a daring raid to sever communications and supply lines in south-central Georgia, was defeated near Newnan, Georgia, by...
on July 30, 1864. He then fought during Wheeler's 1864 Raid
Franklin-Nashville Campaign
The Franklin-Nashville Campaign, also known as Hood's Tennessee Campaign, was a series of battles in the Western Theater, conducted from September 18 to December 27, 1864, in Alabama, Tennessee, and northwestern Georgia during the American Civil War. The Confederate Army of Tennessee under Lt....
into Tennessee that fall, now leading a cavalry division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
. He then resisted Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea is the name commonly given to the Savannah Campaign conducted around Georgia from November 15, 1864 to December 21, 1864 by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army in the American Civil War...
in late 1864, and fought during the Battle of Buck Head Creek
Battle of Buck Head Creek
The Battle of Buck Head Creek was the second battle of Sherman's March to the Sea, fought November 28, 1864, during the American Civil War. Union Army cavalry under Brig. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick repulsed an attack by the small Confederate cavalry corps under Maj. Gen...
on November 28. After his wife Margaret died, Humes married Sallie Elder in 1864, and the couple would have four children together. Humes then participated in the Carolinas Campaign
Carolinas Campaign
The Carolinas Campaign was the final campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. In January 1865, Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman advanced north from Savannah, Georgia, through the Carolinas, with the intention of linking up with Union forces in Virginia. The defeat of ...
of 1865, and fought during the Confederate victory at the Battle of Monroe's Crossroads
Battle of Monroe's Crossroads
-References:* Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, Civil War High Commands. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.* * *...
on March 10, where he was wounded in a leg, and he also fought in the Battle of Bentonville
Battle of Bentonville
At 3 p.m., Confederate infantry from the Army of Tennessee launched an attack and drove the Union left flank back in confusion, nearly capturing Carlin in the process and overrunning the XIV Corps field hospital. Confederates under Maj. Gen. D.H. Hill filled the vacuum left by the retreating...
from March 19–21. Near the end of the American Civil War, Humes surrendered with Gen. Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a career U.S. Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
on April 26, although there is no record of an individual parole or pardon.
Postbellum career and death
After the war ended, Humes returned to Memphis, Tennessee, and resumed his career as a lawyer. He later relocated to AlabamaAlabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
and again practiced law. Humes died there in Huntsville
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
in 1833, and his body was brought back to Memphis where it was buried in Elmwood Cemetery.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals
Further reading
- Fisher, John E., They Rode with Forrest and Wheeler, McFarland & Co., Inc, 1995, ISBN 0-7864-0083-8.