Humphrey Posey Earley was a member of Company G of the 26th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry. Although his older brother Alberto and his parents were from South Carolina Humphrey had been born near Rome, Georgia in Floyd County. His family had lived in Georgia for a few years moving from South Carolina before moving to Mississippi. It is also interesting to note that according to the brothers Compiled Military Service Records their native states were just the opposite of what they should have been. At least the census reports contradict the CMSR's. Alberto was elected as the Captain of Company G while younger brother Humphrey was elected as Corporal. The 26th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry had played a vital role in the fighting at Fort Donelson, Tennessee helping to open the road to Nashville, Tennessee before General Pillow ordered them back to the trenches of Fort Donelson. The snow was deep, and the water freezing, and the general Confederate leadership was poor at Fort Donelson. It would appear that Corporal Earley had been promoted to Lieutenant during the brief fight. Both Captain Alberto Earley and either Corporal or Lieutenant Humphrey were surrendered and taken to the Camp Chase Prison. Thanks to one of the non-delivered letters known as the "missing letters of Camp Chase" now held by the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond, Virginia a letter was found by myself last month that was from Captain Alberto Earley to his parents in Mississippi. In the letter Captain Earley described how his younger brother Humphrey had died and his last request to his brother. Captain Earley described how his brother, Humphrey had calmly requested that his body be taken back to Mississippi to be buried. Captain Earley had waited on his brother until he too was forced to go to the hospital. He was promised by a Union Officer that his brother would be placed in a coffin and have a headboard over his grave. All that is known after that point was that Captain Alberto Earley would survive the War and was listed as being alive and living in Texas in 1900. Today at the Camp Chase Cemetery there is an inscription on tombstone # 2065 that list 4th Corporal H.P. Early Company G 4th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry as being buried there with another Confederate. Since we don't know the death dates of his parents we don't know if they knew of Humphrey's death. Of course Captain Alberto Earley would be exchanged according to the Dix-Hill Cartel on November 10, 1862. I often wonder if Alberto would honor his brothers last request. I'm sure he would have if he could have located his grave. There are a number of Confederates who are listed as being buried at the Camp Chase Cemetery and whose bodies were removed during and directly after the War, that still have tombstones at the Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery.