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John Gibbon (April 20, 1827 – February 6, 1896) was a career United States Army
United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
 officer who fought in the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
 and the Indian Wars
Indian Wars

Indian Wars is the name generally used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between the colonial or federal government and the indigenous peoples of North America....
.

on was born in the Holmesburg section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States....
, the fourth child of ten born to Dr. John Heysham Gibbons and Catharine Lardner Gibbons. When Gibbon was nearly 11 years old the family moved near Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte is the largest city in the state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The List of United States cities by population in the United States....
, after his father took a position as chief assayer at the U.S.






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John Gibbon (April 20, 1827 – February 6, 1896) was a career United States Army
United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
 officer who fought in the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
 and the Indian Wars
Indian Wars

Indian Wars is the name generally used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between the colonial or federal government and the indigenous peoples of North America....
.

Early life

Gibbon was born in the Holmesburg section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States....
, the fourth child of ten born to Dr. John Heysham Gibbons and Catharine Lardner Gibbons. When Gibbon was nearly 11 years old the family moved near Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte is the largest city in the state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The List of United States cities by population in the United States....
, after his father took a position as chief assayer at the U.S. Mint. He graduated from the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy

The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational United States Service academies located at West Point, New York, New York....
 in 1847 and was commissioned a brevet
Brevet (military)

In the U.K. and U.S. military, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher Military rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank....
 second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant

Second Lieutenant is the lowest Officer military rank in many armed forces.In British English the rank is pronounced second /l?f't?n?nt/ , while in American English it is pronounced second /lu't?n?nt/ ....
 in the 3rd U.S. Artillery. He served in the Mexican-American War without seeing combat, attempted to keep the peace between Seminoles and settlers in south Florida
Florida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
, and taught artillery tactics at West Point
United States Military Academy

The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational United States Service academies located at West Point, New York, New York....
, where he wrote The Artillerist's Manual in 1859. The manual was a highly scientific treatise on gunnery and was used by both sides in the Civil War. In 1855, Gibbon married Francis "Fannie" North Moale. They had four children: Frances Moale Gibbon, Catharine "Katy" Lardner Gibbon, John Gibbon, Jr. (who died as a toddler
Toddler

Toddler is a common term for a young child who is learning to walk. The toddling stage is generally considered to be the stage of development between infant and childhood....
) and John S. Gibbon.

Civil War

When war broke out between the states, Gibbon was serving as a captain of Battery B, 4th U.S. Artillery at Camp Floyd
Camp Floyd

Camp Floyd was a short-lived U.S. Army post near Fairfield, Utah, United States. The site is now a Utah state park....
 in Utah
Utah

The State of Utah is a western United States U.S. state of the United States. It was the List of U.S. states by date of statehood admitted to the United States on January 4, 1896....
. Despite the fact that his father was a slaveholder and that three of his brothers, two brothers-in-law and his cousin J. Johnston Pettigrew
J. Johnston Pettigrew

James Johnston Pettigrew was an author, lawyer, linguist, diplomat, and a Confederate States Army General officer in the American Civil War. He was a major leader in the disastrous Pickett's Charge and was killed a few days after the Battle of Gettysburg during the Confederate retreat to Virginia....
 served in the Confederate military, Gibbon decided to uphold his oath to the Union. Upon arrival in Washington, Gibbon, still in command of the 4th U.S. Artillery, became chief of artillery for Maj. Gen.
Major general (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a 2 star rank general officer rank, with the U.S....
 Irvin McDowell
Irvin McDowell

Irvin McDowell was a career United States United States Army, famous for his defeat during the First Battle of Bull Run, the first large-scale battle of the American Civil War....
. In 1862, he was appointed brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)

A brigadier general in the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, is a 1 star rank general officer, with the U.S....
 of volunteers and commanded the brigade of westerners known as King's Wisconsin Brigade. Gibbon quickly set about drilling his troops and improving their appearance, ordering them to wear white leggings and distinctive black 1858 regular army Hardee hat
Hardee hat

The Hardee hat, also known as the Model 1858 Dress Hat and sometimes nicknamed the "Jefferson Davis", was the Uniform of the Union Army for enlisted men in the U.S....
s. The hats earned them the nickname The Black Hat Brigade. He led the brigade into action against the famous Confederate
Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was a military organization whose primary mission was to provide the necessary forces and capabilities to support the National Security and defense of the Confederate States of America during its brief existence from 1861 to 1865....
 Stonewall Brigade
Stonewall Brigade

The Stonewall Brigade of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, was one of the most famous combat units in United States history. It was trained and first led by General Thomas J....
 at the Battle of Gainesville (Brawner's Farm), a prelude to the Second Battle of Bull Run
Second Battle of Bull Run

The Second Battle of Bull Run, or, as it was called by the Confederate States of America, the Battle of Second Manassas, was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War....
. He was still in command of the brigade during their strong uphill charge at the Battle of South Mountain
Battle of South Mountain

The Battle of South Mountain was fought September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles were fought for possession of three South Mountain passes: Crampton's Gap, Turner's Gap, and Fox's Gaps....
, where Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker
Joseph Hooker

Joseph Hooker was a career United States Army officer, fought in the Mexican-American War, and was a Major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War....
 exclaimed that the men "fought like iron". From then on, the brigade was known as the "Iron Brigade
Iron Brigade

The Iron Brigade, also known as the Iron Brigade of the West or the Black Hat Brigade, was an infantry brigade in the Union Army Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War....
". Gibbon led the brigade for the last time at the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam

The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern United States soil....
, where he was forced to take time away from brigade command to personally man an artillery piece in the bloody fighting at the Cornfield.

Gibbon was promoted to command the 2nd Division, I Corps
I Corps (ACW)

I Corps was the designation of three different corps-sized units in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The units served in the following armies:...
 at the Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg

The Battle of Fredericksburg, fought in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, from December 11 to December 15, 1862, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate States Army Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major general Ambrose E....
, where he was wounded. The wound was minor but kept getting infected, so Gibbon was out of action for a few months. Shortly after returning to duty he learned of the sudden death of his son, John Gibbon, Jr. Gibbon returned for the Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville

The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, fought near the village of Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia, from April 30 to May 6, 1863....
, but his division was in reserve and saw little action. At the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg , fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is frequently cited as the war's Turning point of the American Civil War....
, he commanded the 2nd Division, II Corps
II Corps (ACW)

There were five corps in the Union Army designated as II Corps during the American Civil War.* Army of the Cumberland, II Corps commanded by Thomas L....
 and temporarily commanded the corps on July 1 and July 2, 1863, while Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock was elevated to command larger units. At the end of the council of war
Council of war

A council of war is a term in military science that describes a meeting held to decide on a course of action, usually in the midst of a battle....
 on the night of July 2, army commander Maj. Gen. George G. Meade took Gibbon aside and predicted, "If Lee
Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee , was a career United States United States Army officer , an engineer, and among the most celebrated generals in American history....
 attacks tomorrow, it will be on your front." And his division did bear the brunt of fighting during the defense against Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge

Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate States Army General Robert E. Lee against Major general George G. Meade's Union Army positions on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War....
 on July 3, when Gibbon was again wounded. While recovering from his wounds, he commanded a draft depot in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, the most populous county in the state. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately 60 miles west of the Pennsylvania border....
, and attended the dedication of Soldiers' National Cemetery
Gettysburg National Cemetery

Gettysburg National Cemetery is located on Cemetery Hill in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Shortly after the Battle of Gettysburg, with the support of Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin, the site was purchased and Union Army dead were moved from shallow and inadequate burial sites on the battlefield to the cemetery....
 and heard Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States. He successfully led the country through its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserving the Union and ending slavery....
's Gettysburg Address
Gettysburg Address

The Gettysburg Address was a speech by President of the United States Abraham Lincoln and one of the most quoted speeches in history of the United States....
 with his close friend and aide Lt. Frank A. Haskell
Frank A. Haskell

Franklin Aretas Haskell was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War who was killed during the Battle of Cold Harbor. Haskell wrote a famous account of the Battle of Gettysburg that was published posthumously....
.

Gibbon was back in command of the 2nd Division at the battles of the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness

The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lieutenant general Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E....
, Spotsylvania Court House
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania, was the second major battle in Lieutenant general Ulysses S....
, and Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor

The Battle of Cold Harbor, the final battle of Union Army Lieutenant general Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, is remembered as one of History of the United States bloodiest, most lopsided battles....
. During the Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg

The Richmond-Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War....
, Gibbon became disheartened when his troops refused to fight at Ream's Station
Second Battle of Ream's Station

The Second Battle of Ream's Station was fought during the Siege of Petersburg in the American Civil War on August 25, 1864, in Dinwiddie County, Virginia....
. He briefly commanded the XVIII Corps
XVIII Corps (ACW)

XVIII Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War....
 before going on sick leave, but his service being too valuable, he returned to command the newly created XXIV Corps
XXIV Corps (ACW)

XXIV Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War.In December 1864, the white and black units of the Army of the James were divided into two corps....
 in the Army of the James
Army of the James

The Army of the James was a Union army Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia....
. His troops helped achieve the decisive breakthrough at Petersburg
Battle of Petersburg III

The Third Battle of Petersburg, also known as the Breakthrough at Petersburg or the Fall of Petersburg, was a decisive Union Army assault on the Confederate States Army trenches, ending the ten-month Siege of Petersburg and leading to the fall of Petersburg, Virginia and Richmond, Virginia, Virginia....
, capturing Fort Gregg, part of the Confederate defenses. He led his troops during the Appomattox Campaign
Appomattox Campaign

The Appomattox Campaign was a series of battles fought in Virginia that culminated in the surrender of Confederate States Army General Robert E....
 and blocked the Confederate escape route at the Battle of Appomattox Courthouse
Battle of Appomattox Courthouse

The Battle of Appomattox Courthouse was the final engagement of Confederate States Army General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia before it surrender to the Union Army under Lieutenant General Ulysses S....
. He was one of three commissioners for the Confederate surrender.

Indian Wars

Gibbon stayed in the army after the war. He reverted to the regular army rank of colonel
Colonel (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, Colonel is a senior field officer United States Military Officer military rank just above the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and just below the rank of Brigadier General ....
 and was in command of the infantry at Fort Ellis
Fort Ellis

File:SoldiersAtFortEllisMontanaTerritory1871.jpgFort Ellis was an early United States Army outpost established August 27, 1867 to the eastern side of present-day Bozeman, Montana....
 in the Montana Territory
Montana Territory

File:MontanaTerritory1879.jpgThe Montana Territory was an organized territory of the United States that existed between 1864 and 1889.The territory was organized out of the existing Idaho Territory by Act of United States Congress and signed into law by Abraham Lincoln on May 28, 1864....
, during the campaign
Great Sioux War of 1876-77

The Great Sioux War of 1876-77 was a series of battles and negotiations between the Lakota people , Northern Cheyenne, and the United States between 1876 and 1877....
 against the Sioux
Sioux

Sioux are a Native Americans in the United States and First Nations people. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many dialects....
 in 1876. Gibbon, General George Crook
George Crook

George Crook was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars....
, and General Alfred Terry
Alfred Terry

Alfred Howe Terry was a Union army general in the American Civil War and the military commander of the Dakota Territory from 1866 to 1869 and again from 1872 to 1886....
 were to make a coordinated campaign against the Sioux and Cheyenne
Cheyenne

Cheyenne are a native Americans in the United States nation of the Great Plains. The Cheyenne Nation is composed of two united Indian tribe, the S?'taa'e and the Ts?-ts?h?st?hese , which translates to "those like us"....
, but Crook was driven back at the Battle of the Rosebud
Battle of the Rosebud

The Battle of the Rosebud occurred June 17, 1876, in the Montana Territory between the United States Army and a force of Lakota people Native Americans in the United States during the Black Hills War....
, and Gibbon was not close by when Lt. Col. George A. Custer attacked a very large village on the banks of the Little Bighorn River
Little Bighorn River

The Little Bighorn River is a tributary of the Bighorn River in the United States in the states of Wyoming and Montana. The Battle of the Little Bighorn was fought along its banks in 1876....
. The Battle of the Little Bighorn
Battle of the Little Bighorn

The Battle of the Little Bighorn—also known as Custer's Last Stand, and, in the parlance of the relevant Native Americans in the United States, the Battle of Greasy Grass Creek—was an armed engagement between a Lakota people-Northern Cheyenne combined force and the U.S....
 resulted in the deaths of Custer and some 261 of his men. Gibbon's approach on June 26 probably saved the lives of the several hundred men under the command of Major Marcus Reno
Marcus Reno

Marcus Albert Reno was a career military officer in the American Civil War and in the Black Hills War against the Lakota people and Northern Cheyenne....
 who were still under siege. Gibbon arrived the next day and helped to bury the dead and evacuate the wounded.

Gibbon was still in command in Montana the following year when he intercepted a telegraph from General Oliver O. Howard
Oliver O. Howard

Oliver Otis Howard was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army General officer in the American Civil War. He was a corps commander noted for suffering two humiliating defeats, at Battle of Chancellorsville and Battle of Gettysburg, but he recovered from the setbacks while posted in the Western Theater of the American Civil War,...
 to cut off the Nez Percé
Nez Perce

The Nez Perce are a tribe of Native Americans in the United States who live in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is estimated that at the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition the native people had been in the area for over 10,000 years....
, who were camped along the Big Hole River
Big Hole River

The Big Hole River is a tributary of the Jefferson River, approximately 153 miles  long, in southwestern Montana in the United States....
 in western Montana. At the Battle of the Big Hole
Battle of the Big Hole

The Battle of the Big Hole was a costly battle in the Montana Territory between the Nez Perc? and United States army during the Nez Perce War of 1877....
 Gibbon's forces inflicted heavy losses, but became pinned down under Indian sniper fire. Gibbon held off the warriors until General Howard's forces arrived late on the second day of battle and drove them off.

Later career and retirement

Gibbon served temporarily as commander of the Department of the Platte
Department of the Platte

The Department of the Platte was a military administrative district established by the U.S. Army March 5, 1866, with boundaries encompassing Iowa, Nebraska, Dakota Territory, Utah Territory and a small portion of Idaho....
 in 1884. He was promoted to brigadier general in the regular army in 1885 and took command of the Army of the Pacific Northwest. He placed Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the most populous city in the US state of Washington and the Northwestern United States. The encompassing Seattle metropolitan area is the 15th largest in the United States, and the largest in the Pacific Northwest....
, under martial law
Martial law

Martial law is the system of rules that takes effect when the military takes control of the normal administration of justice.Martial law is sometimes imposed during wars or occupied territory in the absence of any other civil government....
 during the anti-Chinese riots of 1886. Gibbon was required to retire due to age restrictions in 1891.

Gibbon served as president of the Iron Brigade Association, and Commander in Chief of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States

The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, also known by its acronym MOLLUS or simply as the Loyal Legion, is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by officers of the army, navy, and marine corps of the United States who "had aided in maintaining the honor, integrity, and supremacy o...
 from October 1895 until his death the following year. He also gave the commencement address to the West Point Class of 1886.

Death and legacy

John Gibbon died in Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore is an independent city and the largest city in the U.S. state of Maryland in the United States. Baltimore is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay....
, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia is a United States National Cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, The Robert E....
. In addition to his famous and influential Artillerist's Manual of 1859, he is the author of Personal Recollections of the Civil War (published posthumously in 1928) and Adventures on the Western Frontier (also posthumous, 1994) along with many articles in magazines and journals, typically recounting his time in the West and providing his opinions on the government's policy toward Native Americans.

On July 3, 1988, the 125th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, a bronze statue of John Gibbon was dedicated in the Gettysburg National Military Park
Gettysburg Battlefield

The Gettysburg Battlefield was the site of the Battle of Gettysburg, fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the county seat of Adams County, Pennsylvania, which had approximately 2,400 residents at the time....
, near the site of his wounding in Pickett's Charge.

In popular media

Gibbon was portrayed in the film Gettysburg
Gettysburg (film)

Gettysburg is a 1993 film that dramatizes the decisive Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War. It was directed by Ronald F. Maxwell, who also wrote the screenplay, a close adaptation of Michael Shaara's 1974 novel The Killer Angels, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1975....
 by Emile O. Schmidt.

See also



Further reading

  • Felton, Silas. "The Iron Brigade Battery: An Irregular Regular Battery," in Giants in their Tall Black Hats: Essays on the Iron Brigade. Alan T. Nolan and Sharon Eggleston Vipond, eds. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1998, ISBN 0-2533-3457-8.
  • Gaff, Alan D. and Maureen Gaff. "'The Dread Reality of War': Gibbon's Brigade, August 28-September 17, 1862," in Giants in their Tall Black Hats: Essays on the Iron Brigade. Alan T. Nolan and Sharon Eggleston Vipond, eds. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1998, ISBN 0-2533-3457-8.
  • Gibbon, John. Gibbon on the Sioux Campaign of 1876. The Old Army Press, 1970.
  • Gibbon, John. Personal Recollections of the Civil War. New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1928.
  • Gramm, Kent. "'They Must be Made of Iron': The Ascent of South Mountain," in Giants in their Tall Black Hats: Essays on the Iron Brigade. Alan T. Nolan and Sharon Eggleston Vipond, eds. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1998, ISBN 0-2533-3457-8.
  • Hartwig, D. Scott. "'I Dread the Thought of the Place': The Iron Brigade at Antietam," in Giants in their Tall Black Hats: Essays on the Iron Brigade. Alan T. Nolan and Sharon Eggleston Vipond, eds. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1998, ISBN 0-2533-3457-8.
  • Nolan, Alan T. "John Brawner's Damage Claim," in Giants in their Tall Black Hats: Essays on the Iron Brigade. Alan T. Nolan and Sharon Eggleston Vipond, eds. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1998, ISBN 0-2533-3457-8.
  • Wright, Steven J. "John Gibbon and the Black Hat Brigade," in Giants in their Tall Black Hats: Essays on the Iron Brigade. Alan T. Nolan and Sharon Eggleston Vipond, eds. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1998, ISBN 0-2533-3457-8.


External links

  • of Gibbon in 1889 with Chief Joseph
    Chief Joseph

    Chief Joseph was the Tribal chief of the Wal-lam-wat-kain band of Nez Perce Native Americans in the United States during General Oliver O. Howard's attempt to Indian Removal his Band societies and the other "non-treaty" Indians to a Indian reservation in Idaho....
    .
  • of Gibbon and his grave.
  • photographs of Gibbon.
  • Retrieved 2008-07-01