The Washington herald., 1922-05-22
WEST POINT "GRANDDADDY"
CELEBRATES 9ST7H BIRTHDAY
General Gibson, Veteran of Indian, Mexican,
And Civil Wars, ''On Wagon" But Smokes.

"a toothache on his ninety-fifth
birthday
Such is the dilemma of Brig. Gen.
Horatio G. Gibson. Oldest living
graduate of West Point.as he draws
abreast of his ninetp-fifth milestone
today. ~ se
Birthday parties. however. are the
brightest things in the old war
rior's life. and the one today. r
is expected, will make him forget
his pain.
Children. grandchildren and great
grandchildren will gather around
the nonogenarian general at his
home. 2015 n street northwest for
the birthday celebration today.
Three hundred other friends also
will be there, incluing Gen. Per-
shing.
Mexican war Veteran.
Gen. Gibson is one of the few
living survivors of the Mexican
war, and for that matter one of
the few veterans also of the Civil
and Indian wars.
But for the toothache he would
feel fine. His hearing and eye.
sight are both still good. and so
Is his disposition. he declares.
Those who attributed long life
to abstinence from whisky and to-
bacco would be disappointed IN
Gen. Gibson. He says he has par
taken freely of both.
'"Most of my drinking was done
in California during the gold rush
days" he said. ''Out there you
either had to drink or nght. so
as a rule l drank. The miners
would get insulted II you refused
to drink with them. Later on L
slowed up a bit on whisky and now
with prohibition, l have given II
up altogether"
In Gold Rush.
Gen. Gibson was stationed in
California after the Mexican war,
and believes that he is the only
man living today who was in the
gold rush.
His stories about those days of
'49 are many.
Il was sent out to California with
a company Of ninety men" he said.
within a few days eighty of them
deserted to try their luck for gold.
The worst OF it all was the cook
deserted. too. leaving no one to
prepare the company's grub. Once
the gold bug bit me. too. aid
tried my hand at mining. dug up
about $40 worth and quit; the work
wa stOo hard
Gibson and his men went to Cali
fornia by water. leaving Pensacola.
Fla. on the frigate mississippi and
sailing around Cape Horn to San
Francisco.
smokes Regularly.
The ship, he said. was commanded
by a Capt. Mckenzie. who a few
years before had been in comma nd
Of the Summers, naval brig.
While master of this ship Mckenzie
caused the execution of four sail
ors charged with mut5ny. Gibson
said. One of the men executed was
Phillip Spencer. son of the then
Secretary Of War, John c. Spencer.
This was in President Tyler's ad-
ministration.
The execution caused intense ex-
citement in the country, but in the
end Capt. Mckenzie was upheld for
his action, Gibson said.
Though Gen. Gibson is ION the
water wagon" he still is addicted
to cigars. He smokes on an av-
erage of six a day, and doesn't be-
lieve they hurt him.
No Rules on Health.
He hasn't any rules to give out
on now to live TO a ripe old age. "
So far as he himself Is concerned.
he attributes his longevity TO years
spent on the Western plains dur
ing the Indian wars.
Galleries, scientific breathing, and
all other modern health hints SEEM
lngly have never entered into Gen.
Gibson's young life.
What do you think about flap
pers?" Gen. Gibson was asked.
"Flappers, what are they2" he
queried.
A description of a flapper was
given him. He said he had no crit
icism to make.
Reads Most Of Time.
Let the women wear what they
want" he said.
The old soldier spends most of his
time now reading. Nothing in the
news particularly interests him. he
said, although he does have a sort
of leaning toward politics.
What is my political faith? Well.
used to be a Republican many
years ago. but l am quite indepen-
dent now"
When he was a partisan there
We're big issues between the two
parties. said Gibson. To him the
issues now seem trivial and not of
enough Importance to cause a voter
to take sides with either party.
Wants to Visit West Point.
Gen. Gibson has one dear ambi-
tion. He wants to return to West
Point before he dies.
1T would seem good to step out
on that old drill ground once
more" the granddaddy of all West
Pointers, sad wistfully.
Literally Gen. Gibson stepped out
OF the Military Academy and into
the Mexican war. This was in 1s47.
He wouldn't talk much about the war,
but he said a significant thing in
connection with il.
This country. he said. made one