Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1904-01-14

Monday at the home of his siste
Miss Mary Chew Gibson, in Hay,
: de Grace. He was not marrieS
Mr. Gibson was o native of Talbt
, county. and was born at Marengs
Miles River Neck. the family sea. {
the Gibsons. The late DR.. Job
Chew Gibson OF st. Michaels wa
} his brother. Frank Tilton Gibson
clerk at the Hotel Avon. is his ueph
lew.
| During the war Mr.. Gibson was
Corporal in Breathed's Battery
Stuart's Horse Artillery. I'll. Fl
Matthews, who was in the Battery
writes:
Cor Eayette Gibson. of Breathed' !,
Battery, Stuart's Horse Artillery
Corporal Fayette Gibson came to us
very early in the spring Of 1862. II
was only very short time befors
Captain Pelham began to realize the
soldier and the true type ofmanhood
that constituted his makeup. He
was fearless--as brave man as ever
stood behind gun, always ready to
do his duty at any time or times that
he was called upon. | do not re-
member ever having seen o cooler
man under the most severe artillery
fire than Corporal Fayette Gibson.
He was considered one of the best
shots in the battery, accurate and
Stubborn when fighting his gun.
The manner in which he threw his
shells into the ranks of the enemy
proved him to be q master gunner.
Gen. j. E. B. Stuart on many occa-
sions complimented Glib (as we
called him) on the fearful execution
of his thre Inch rife. Corporal
Gibson won his spurs Mechanics
vile, Va, June q, 1852. We had
protected General Jackson's flank
from Ashland, Va, up to where we
formed our line of battle. Major
Pelham had ridden ahead to find a
place for his battery. He returned
in short while (about 5 p. NJ.
giving the command, Pieces pass
your caissons, trot, march," We
generally knew what that meant
trouble ahead. Gen. J. E. B. Stuart,
in his report of that action, saws:
"Videttes placed on our left kept me
advised of the enemy s movements
Aboat 5 p NJ. movement was OBJ.
served of the enemy's artillery or
the road leading to the Grapevine
bridge.
THE only artillery under my
command being Pelham's Battery,
Stuart's Horse Artillery, the 12
FOUNDER Blakeley and Napoleon
guns were ordered forward to meet
this bold effort to damage our left
flank. The Blakeley was disabled at
the first fire, the enemy opening
simultaneously eight pieces, prov
ing afterwards to be Weeds and
Tidball's batteries of Horse Artil-
lery, the flower of the Federal Army.
Then ensued one of the most gallant
and heroic feats of the war. The
Napoleos, solitary and alone, re-
ceived the fire of those batteries
concealed in the pines on q ridge
commanding its ground. Yet not a
man quailed, the noble Captain Pei
ham directing the fire himself with
a coolness sand intrepidity only equal
led by his previous brilliant career.
The enemy's FIRE sensibly slackened
under the determined ire OF this
Napoleon gun, which clung to its
ground with unflinching tenacity.
l had an opportunity of calling Gen.
Jackson attention to the heroic
conduct of the officers and men of
this piece Of artillery"
This action was Corporal Fayette
Gibson's baptism of FIRE with the
battery. He was corporal, or gum
ner, of that Napoleon gun. / could
bring before the eyes of the reader
many other similar exploits of the
gallant soldier. but deem this suffi-
cient to show what a noble and hero
ic man Corporal Gibson was. He
was universally esteemed by every
man in that gallant band of artillery
men. and those of US who survive
him will cherish his memory as1ong
as we are left behind to give a word
of testimony to our dead comrades in
arms
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