The evening times., 1898-06-14
DR.. JOHN BLAIR GIBBS.
History Of the Man Who Fell Mt
GuantanRmo.

GuantanR mo.
| New York, June l4.-First to be ac-
cepted as surgeon under President Nc
Kinley's first call for volunteers. SO. too.
was DR.. John Blair Gibbs. Of this city.
first to fall as an officer, a victim of
Spanish bullets on Cuban soil.
DR.. Gibbs, in the heyday of manhood.
sacrificed medical practice that net
ted him $4,000 a year to take a COM
mission in the volunteer army. which
brought him but 81 200 as an ensign. His
grandfather had been a Revolutionary
officer. and his father had served through
the Mexican ana civil wars. SO there was
little surprise when DR.. Gibbs said to
his friends one night a few months ago:
Boys. 1 can afford to go, and ought to
go to the war. With me country Is
first"
DR.. Gibbs not only held a prominent
position in this getty as a physician and
surgeon. but hel was also well known in
society. He was a reserved man. making
confidants of fef, but withal one of the
greatest favoritSs in the University Club,
of which he had been a member for sew
eral years. and in other circles. DR..
Gibbs was youhgs accomplished and en-
tertaining: thoroughly well-read man,
but little giveH TO sentimentality. His
cousin. Miss Lapro d'Oremieulx. a sister
of Leon F. d'OSemieulx. was married to
DR.. ]. West Roosevelt. a cousin of Theo-
dore Roosevelt, who died in April. 1886.
DR.. Parker Syms. of No. so West Forty
seventh Street, of whom DIR. Gibbs WIS
an associate before leaving for Cuba, re-
ceived a letter yesterday morning from
his old companion. 1t was dated on board
the Panther, at Key West, June Z. and
was of a personal nature. In II DR.. Gibbs
told of his anticipation of an engagement
with the Spaniards. This letter was OF 4
very cheerful character. In 1t DIR. Gfbbs
referred to several little articles that be-
longed to him and which he had left In
the charge of DIR. Syms.
Dr. Gibbs and DR.. Syms had been asso-
ciated in the practice Of medicine for the
last three years. When war was declared
DIR. Gibbs decided that he would enlist.
In talking with friend he said:
81 know / have a good practice. but II
n call for volunteers comes / shall offer
my services
Then came the call for volunteers. Dr.
Gibbs had always been fond of the water.
and in talking with his cousin. Leon F.
d'Oremieulx. he said:
II understand that commission in the
Navy is harder TO get than commission
in the Army, but I want to go in the Ma
Wy. so I shall make an application"
He did SO. DIR. Gibbs was surprised when
he received word from Washington that
his application had been received. and
with 1t instructions to 20 TO the Brook
lyn navy yard for examination. He COM
piled with the Instructions and passed
the board of examiners with high honors.
Then he was happy.
1t was only few days afterward that
he received an urgency call" to report
at Key West forthwith. DR.. Gibbs made
preparations for hasty compliance with
the order. He told DR.. Syms what TO do
with a few personal belongings he left
with him. and consulted with Mr..
d d'OremieulX. his business agent, about
other matters, and then bade them good
by.
DR.. Gibbs thought he was to be assign
ed 10 the Miantonomoh. He left here on
the night of May !. and went to Key West.
where he found that he was assigned as
acting assistant surgeon to the Panther.
II was while lying at Key West that he
wrote to DIR. Syms, and TO his cousin,
Leon d'Oremieulx.
The latter received his about two weeks
ago In il DR.. Gibbs said he expected
that an engagement with the Spaniards
was at hand and that he had charge of
the marines on board the vessel. This
letter. as well as. that Of DR.. Syms. was
written by man apparently in the hap
piest frame of mind and confident of
American successes.
DR.. Syms reluctantly accepted the story
of his old associates s death. All day long
his telephone rang with calls from anx-
ious inqurers who wanted to know If the
was: I'm afraid IFS true
DIR. Gibbs enjoyed large acquaintance
among prominent men In this city. A
friend of his said yesterday:
Il never in my life saw n man who was
on terms of intimate friendship with so
many prominent men. He seemed to
know everybody, and was favorite with
everybody. He was reticent. mild man.
nered and sympathetic. and one of those
fellows who made friends, but no enc
mics" -
DR.. Gibbs mother now lives at No. 1Oi0
Park Avenue Richmond. Va, and
brother, Alfred, lives at Altoona. Pa.
where he is connected with railroad.
DR.. Gibbs was graduated from Rutgers
College in 1878. the University of Penn
sylvania in 1851 and. the College of Ply
sicians and Surgeons in 1852. He entered
Bellevue Hospital in the fall of 1852 and
there until the Spring of 1854
when he went abroad, pursuing studies
in London and Vienna for almost two
years.
DR.. Gibbs. on his return to this country,
became connected with Roosevelt Hos
pital and became an instructor in the
Post Graduate Hospital. For several
years he was associated in private prac-
ice with DR.. Charles Kelsey. Dr. Gibbs |
MAS assistant attending surgeon at Leb-
anon Hospital.
Until its collapse Dr. Gibbs was a mem |
Der of the Southern Club. His father was |
Major Alfred Gibbs. who fell in the Gus |
er massacre. Major Gibbs was a gradu- |
ite of West Point and major of the Sew |
nth United States Cavalry. At the time |
If his death he was a ma jor general by |
,revet. DIR. Gibbs father was one of the |
most highly respected men in the Army |
His mother was Miss Blair, a member of |
he prominent Virginia family. DR.. Gibbs |
vas about thirty-eight years old.
DR.. Gibbs spent several years of his |
,oyhood in New Brunswick. n. ]. He
vas crack shot and frequently went
IN cunning expeditions with Prof. Bo-
'ardus. of the Rutgers faculty His
eath was announced to the students by
resident Austin Scott in Kirkpatrick
,hapel yesterday morning
During his mothers residence in New
Brunswick the widow of Cen. Custer
pent much time with her This was after
he massacre. Together they formed the
ucleus of a charming social coterie.
Where the Difference Arf.e..
(From the Boston Traveller
When your own plans go wrong II is had ,yck.
hen the other fellows go wrong il is msnan |