The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1870-03-10

Assassination Of DR.. 7. s. Gibson.

HC UIu tdl NSSGSSludtlUu VI LII. Ulty y.
Gibson, of SunAower county, will long cast a
shadow of gloom over the hearts and homes
of his numerous friends. Great anxiety hav-
ing been manifested to ascertain the true cir
cumstances of his death, we detail them as
we heard them from the lips of his wife, sis
ter and in-law, the only witnesses of his
death, besides the perpetrators It will be
| remembered that Dr. Gibson was the leader
Of the whites in the Sunfower disturbances,
when the negroes were organized under Com
| bash, with the avowcd purpose of burning
Greenwood About 20 or rs whites assem-
bled near Greenwood and sent for DR.. Gibson.
| When he arrived they told him of the threats
of Combash, and rendered him the command
of the whites; Of course he accepted it
| This company Of men as they were marching
towards the negroes were fired upon, and on
their returning the fire, the negroes fed pre-
cipitately, and DR.. Gibson with great effort
stopped the shedding of any more blood. He
was conspicuous in his efforts to do this. He
had difficulty with Federal officer and the
Deputy Sheriff of Sunfower county, which
singled him out as victim He understood
that they had warrant for his arrest, and
for several weeks kept out of their way. As
certaining, however, that it had been agreed
to drop the matter. he returned home, and
only few days before his death, he went to
McNut, and was there assured by officers and
soldiers that he need have no further appre-
hcnsion. He returned home feeling perfectly
secure. On Monday morning, however, the
18th inst, just as he was getting up from the
breakfast table, his attention was called, by
his wife, to some Federal soldiers to the rear
Of the house. Her sister Immediately ran
and shut the front door. DIR. Gibson told his
family to retire to the next room, and armed
himself. The soldiers, with Deputy Sheriff
Gainey, stepped upon the porch and knocked
at the door, and ordered DR.. Gibson to come
out there. He told them that he would not
do it, and partially opened the door. Just as
he did this the soldiers cooked their guns, and
firing commenced. The family are pretty
certain that the soldiers fred first DR.. Glib
son returned the fire with enc of Colts pis--
tolls, and wounded three of them, it is thought,
mortally, before he received bullet in his
lead. His wife refused to leave him, and was
in the same room with him when he was kill
ed. We counted six bullet holes in the room.
It is thought that one of the cowardly Williams
even shot at Mrs. Gibson through the win
dow. The ball passed through the secretary,
only missing her few inches After DR..
Gibson fell his wife rushed towards him, but
was pushed violently away, and had muskst
drawn on her by one of the brave boys in
blue. They cursed loudly. DR.. Gibson, not
wholly unconscious, could not brook such
gross insult to defenseless woman, and even
in the agony of death, was seen to turn him
self over and feel for his pistols. But the
cowa:dly wretches had taken them from him.
One of them drew back to slap Mrs. Gibson's
sister, but skunk away when she dared him
to strike. The 6endish Williams then caught
DR.. Gibson, apparently dead, by the heels and
dragged him out upon the porch. As a.
GROWING act Of atrocity, one Of them abso
lutely drew his pistol to fire upon his expiring
body, but was stopped by Mrs. Gibson, who
assured him that he was dead. They then
left. DR.. Gibson lived about an hour, but
without speaking. He was evidently con-
scious and would put his arms around the
neck of his wife and caress her, until the
breath left his body.
And in this tragical manner, as gallant and
as generous soul as ever breathed the pure
air of heaven, took its fight from earth. The
rude bullet of the assassin, has broken up as
sacred ties and as happy home as woman
ever enjoyed. And for what? Heaven only
knows. If these murderous williams had
warrant to arrest him, they did not SO state.
Armed to the teeth and with muskets pre-
sented they commanded him to " come out"
But what had he done? He had simply dis
persed band of Infatuated negroes who had
fired upon his company, and had made violent
threats against the people of Sunfower and
Carroll counties.
It was enough to wiring the heart, to see
strong men unused to weeping, shed tears of
blood, as his remains were carried to the boat.
He was beloved by all who knew him. If he
had fault it was too violent and uncompro-
missing hatred Of a foe. But it is consola-
ton to his friends to know that he died, the
victim Of good cause, and fell like the eagle
with shaft of his own feather dripping
with his life blood" He was buried in Yazoo
City, and his friends will shade his grave with
handsome monument.-Yasoo City Paper.