A Portrait and Biographical Record of Hendricks County (Chicago: A.W. Bowen & Co., 1895)--pages 953-954
James E. Humston, ex-county recorder of Hendricks County, Ind., and an old soldier, springs from an old Revolutionary family, the first of whom we have any record having been Edward Humston, grandfather of James E., our subject. This gentleman was a native of Tennessee, served in the patriot army during the war for American independence, and later came to Indiana and settled in Lawrence County, where he passed the remainder of his days, dying at the advanced age of eighty-four years. His son, William M. Humston, the father of James E., was also born in Tennessee and was a young man when he settled in Indiana. Here he was married, in Hendricks County, to Miss Levina Glover, and passed the remainder of his days in Lawrence County, where were born to him the following children: James E., Samuel R., Susan M., Laura, Emma, William B. and Sarah. William M. Humston was a substantial farmer and died in the faith of the Methodist Church, in which he held the office of steward.
James E. Humston was born August 13, 1844, in Lawrence County, Ind., received a good common-school education, and at the age of eighteen years enlisted at Bedford, Ind., for three years, in August, 1862, in Company A, Sixty-seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry, Capt. I.A. Sears and Colonel Frank Emerson. He took part in the battle of Munfordsville, Ky., Bayou Bluffs, the second and third engagements at Vicksburg, battles of Black River, Arkansas Post, Fort Morgan, Fort Gaines, and Blakely, Ala., and was honorably discharged, as corporal, at Galveston, Texas, August 19, 1865. Mr. Humston was an active and willing soldier, and participated in all the marches, skirmishes and engagements in which his regiment took part, with the exception of one battle on Red River, which took place while he was a prisoner. He was first captured at Munfordsville, Ky., September 17, 1862, but was exchanged the next day; his second capture was in Louisiana, when he was held for six weeks at Alexandria, where he suffered greatly from chronic diarrhea, bad food and water. On returning home, Mr. Humston attended for some time the high school at Bedford, Ind., and after there finishing his studies taught school in Lawrence County in 1867-8, and one term in Hendricks County. In 1868 Mr. Humston was united in wedlock with Philistia T., daughter of James and Eliza J. (Faulkner) Woods, and this union has been blessed by the birth of six children, named as follows: Ora M., Everette E., Leonis M., Orville R., Clio and Hallie H. In politics Mr. Humston is an ardent Republican; and for five years served as assessor of Franklin Township, Hendricks County, where he settled in 1870, and resided on eighty acres of land until 1890, when he was elected recorder of Hendricks County, for four years, and removed to Danville. Mr. and Mrs. Humston are members of the Methodist Church, and fraternally he is a member of Jesse S. Ogden post, No. 164, G.A.R.; he was also senior vice commander of Reuben Masten post at Amo, and has always stood high in his community as a good and usesful citizen.