The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-09-05
A VETERAN OF MANY WARS
Brigadisr General John Gibbon and
His Family Guests at Tho
Broadwater.
Still the Soldier Despite Having
Passed the Ago for
Retirement.
Torty-Four Years of Faithful Military Ser
vice Rendered. the Government
OF tho United States.

Brig. Gen. John Gibbon, Of the United
States army, accompanied by his wife, his
daughter, and his two grandchildren. is a
guest at the B~roadwater hotel. The general
and his family came from the west, and II
il their intention to remain at the Broad
watcr for q few weeks rest before return
ing east. Gen. Gibbon has reached the
rge for retirement, and the Montana leg
i~slaturs passed a memorial TO congress- AK
ing that he be placed on the retired list
for faithful service, which was done. since
leaving Montana, where Gen. Gibbon saw
twelve active years OF military duty, he
has been back on visits from time to time,
but this is his first trip to Helena in two
years. In appearance Gen. Gibbon is n
typical soldier, ruddy in spite OF his G4
years, with a clean cut white beard and
moustaohe, and only a sprinkling of gray
in his hair; with a sharp, precise
way of talking that denotes n long military
service, and its consequent habit of issuing
orders and having them obeyed without ar
Rument. He is slightly above the average
height, erect and compactly built, and
walks at all times as if on dress parade.
Gen. John Gtbbon has seen A years.
service in tho army, having graduated at
tho United States military academy in
1847, when 20 years of age. Upon his grad
uation he was assigned to the artillery and
served at the City Of Mexico and Toluca
till the close of the Mexican war. From
this time to the outbreak of the civil war
he was largely on frontier and garrison
duty. For the first year of the war he was
chief of artillery of Gen. McDowell's divi-
sion, and in 1862 was brigadier-general of
volunteers. He commanded a brigade
h;ough the northern Virginia, Maryland,
Rappahannock and Pennsylvania cam
paigns in 1S62-G3, being brevetted major
for services at the bloody field
of Antietam. A few months later he was
brevetted lieutenant colonel for his work at
Fredericksburg, where he commanded a
division and was wounded and disabled for
thres months. He was severely wounded at
Gettysburg while commanding the Second
army corps and was made colonel for his
CALAMITY there. His Wounds at this great
battle laiu him up for four months and it
was not until November, 1863, that he was
able to assume command of the draft depot
the spring of 1864. He was then assigned
to q division of the Second corps, as brevet
major-ceneral, and WIS Mt the battles of
the Wilderness, Spottsylvania and Cold
Harbor. After January Is, 1865, he com
manded the Twenty-fourth army corps and
was before Petersburg, taking part in
the assaults of the last two days and
carrying two redoubts. He was brew
cited btiQadier-genesal and major-general
in March. 1866, and WAS one of
the commissioner to carry into effect the
stipulations for Lees surrender. After the
war he commanded various POSTS, and had
charge of the Yellowstone expedition
npaiust Sitting Bull. In 1876. He command
ed the Montana column. which saved the
wreck of the Seventh cavalry ut the Custer
battlefield. On August 8, 1877, he COM
manded the troops in the action with the
Nez Pelo, Indians at Big Hole pass, where
L. was severely wounded. While in COM
mand OF the Montana depa ptment, with
Headquarters at Folt Shaw, Gen. Gibbon
established the post of Fort Missoula. He
was promoted to btigadier-genesal in July,
1856.