30 Facts About John Gibbon

John Gibbon was a career United States Army officer who fought in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars.

John Gibbon was the brother of Lardner Gibbon, publisher of Exploration of the Valley of the Amazon.

When Gibbon was nearly 11 years old, the family moved near Charlotte, North Carolina, after his father took a position as chief assayer at the US Mint.

John Gibbon graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1847 and was commissioned a brevet second lieutenant in the 3rd US Artillery.

John Gibbon quickly set about drilling his troops and improving their appearance, ordering them to wear white leggings and distinctive, black, 1858 regular army, Hardee hats.

John Gibbon led the brigade into action against the famous Confederate Stonewall Brigade at the Battle of Brawner's Farm, a prelude to the Second Battle of Bull Run.

John Gibbon was in command of the brigade during their strong uphill charge at the Battle of South Mountain, where Maj.

John Gibbon led the brigade at the Battle of Antietam, where he was forced to take time away from brigade command to personally operate an artillery piece in the bloody fighting at the Cornfield.

John Gibbon was promoted to command the 2nd Division, I Corps at the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862, where he was wounded.

The wound was minor but was repeatedly infected, so John Gibbon was on leave for a few months.

John Gibbon returned for the Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863, but his division was in reserve and saw little action.

John Gibbon was back in command of the 2nd Division during Gen.

John Gibbon briefly commanded the XVIII Corps before going on sick leave.

John Gibbon's service being too valuable, he returned to command the newly created XXIV Corps in the Army of the James.

John Gibbon's troops helped achieve the decisive breakthrough at Third Battle of Petersburg in April 1865, capturing Fort Gregg, part of the Confederate defenses.

John Gibbon was one of three commissioners for the Confederate surrender.

John Gibbon reverted to the regular army rank of colonel.

John Gibbon was in command of the 7th Infantry of the Montana Column consisting of the F, G, H, and L of the 2nd Cavalry under James S Brisbin from Fort Ellis and his regiment of 7th Infantry stationed at Shaw, Baker, and Ellis in the Montana Territory, during the campaign against the Sioux in 1876.

John Gibbon arrived the next day and helped to bury the dead and evacuate the wounded.

John Gibbon was still in command in Montana the following year when he received a telegraph from General Oliver Otis Howard to cut off the Nez Perce who had left Idaho, pursued by Howard.

In western Montana, John Gibbon found the Nez Perce near the Big Hole River.

At the Battle of the Big Hole, John Gibbon's forces inflicted and suffered heavy casualties, including several dozen Nez Perce civilians, and John Gibbon became pinned down by Indian sniper fire.

John Gibbon was a Life Member of the Military Service Institution of the United States and won the institution's first gold medal prize for his essay on "Our Indian question", which is published in Volume 2 of the Journal of the Military Service Institution of the United States.

John Gibbon served temporarily as commander of the Department of the Platte in 1884.

John Gibbon was promoted to brigadier general in the regular army in 1885 and took command of the Department of the Columbia, representing all posts in the Pacific Northwest.

John Gibbon placed Seattle, Washington, under martial law during the anti-Chinese riots of 1886.

From 1890, John Gibbon was head of the Military Division of the Atlantic.

John 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 from October 1895 until his death the following year.

John Gibbon gave the commencement address to the West Point Class of 1886.

John Gibbon died in Baltimore, Maryland, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.