John Gibbon John Gibbon ( April 20 , 1827 – February 6 , 1896 ) was a career United States Army officer who fought in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars . Early life . Gibbon was born in the Holmesburg section of Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , the fourth child of ten born to Dr . John Heysham Gibbons and Catharine Lardner Gibbons . When Gibbon was nearly 11 years old the family moved near Charlotte , North Carolina , after his father took a position as chief assayer at the U . S . Mint . He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1847 and was commissioned a brevet second lieutenant in the 3rd U . S . Artillery . He served in the Mexican - American War without seeing combat , attempted to keep the peace between Seminoles and settlers in south Florida , and taught artillery tactics at West Point , where he wrote " The Artillerist ' s Manual " in 1859 . The manual was a highly scientific treatise on gunnery and was used by both sides in the Civil War . In 1855 , Gibbon married Francis " Fannie " North Moale . They had four children : Frances Moale Gibbon , Catharine " Katy " Lardner Gibbon , John Gibbon , Jr . ( who died as a toddler ) and John S . Gibbon . Civil War . When war broke out between the states , Gibbon was serving as a captain of Battery B , 4th U . S . Artillery at Camp Floyd in Utah . Despite the fact that his father was a slaveholder and that three of his brothers , two brothers - in - law and his cousin J . Johnston Pettigrew served in the Confederate military , Gibbon decided to uphold his oath to the Union . Upon arrival in Washington , Gibbon , still in command of the 4th U . S . Artillery , became chief of artillery for Maj . Gen . Irvin McDowell . In 1862 , he was appointed brigadier general of volunteers and commanded the brigade of westerners known as King ' s Wisconsin Brigade . Gibbon quickly set about drilling his troops and improving their appearance , ordering them to wear white leggings and distinctive black 1858 regular army Hardee hat s . The hats earned them the nickname The Black Hat Brigade . He led the brigade into action against the famous Confederate Stonewall Brigade at the Battle of Brawner ' s Farm , a prelude to the Second Battle of Bull Run . He was still in command of the brigade during their strong uphill charge at the Battle of South Mountain , where Maj . Gen . Joseph Hooker exclaimed that the men " fought like iron " . From then on , the brigade was known as the " Iron Brigade " . Gibbon led the brigade for the last time at the Battle of Antietam , where he was forced to take time away from brigade command to personally man an artillery piece in the bloody fighting at the Cornfield . Gibbon was promoted to command the 2nd Division , I Corps at the Battle of Fredericksburg , where he was wounded . The wound was minor but kept getting infected , so Gibbon was out of action for a few months . Shortly after returning to duty he learned of the sudden death of his son , John Gibbon , Jr . Gibbon returned for the Battle of Chancellorsville , but his division was in reserve and saw little action . At the Battle of Gettysburg , he commanded the 2nd Division , II Corps and temporarily commanded the corps on July 1 and July 2 , 1863 , while Maj . Gen . Winfield S . Hancock was elevated to command larger units . At the end of the council of war on the night of July 2 , army commander Maj . Gen . George G . Meade took Gibbon aside and predicted , " If Lee attacks tomorrow , it will be on your front . " And his division did bear the brunt of fighting during the defense against Pickett ' s Charge on July 3 , when Gibbon was again wounded . While recovering from his wounds , he commanded a draft depot in Cleveland , Ohio , and attended the dedication of Soldiers ' National Cemetery and heard Abraham Lincoln ' s Gettysburg Address with his close friend and aide Lt . Frank A . Haskell . Gibbon was back in command of the 2nd Division at the battles of the Wilderness , Spotsylvania Court House , and Cold Harbor . During the Siege of Petersburg , Gibbon became disheartened when his troops refused to fight at Ream ' s Station . He briefly commanded the XVIII Corps before going on sick leave , but his service being too valuable , he returned to command the newly created XXIV Corps in the Army of the James . His troops helped achieve the decisive breakthrough at Petersburg , capturing Fort Gregg , part of the Confederate defenses . He led his troops during the Appomattox Campaign and blocked the Confederate escape route at the Battle of Appomattox Courthouse . He was one of three commissioners for the Confederate surrender . Indian Wars . Gibbon stayed in the army after the war . He reverted to the regular army rank of colonel and was in command of the infantry at Fort Ellis in the Montana Territory , during the campaign against the Sioux in 1876 . Gibbon , General George Crook , and General Alfred Terry were to make a coordinated campaign against the Sioux and Cheyenne , but Crook was driven back at the Battle of the Rosebud , and Gibbon was not close by when Lt . Col . George A . Custer attacked a very large village on the banks of the Little Bighorn River . The Battle of the Little Bighorn resulted in the deaths of Custer and some 261 of his men . Gibbon ' s approach on June 26 probably saved the lives of the several hundred men under the command of Major Marcus Reno who were still under siege . Gibbon arrived the next day and helped to bury the dead and evacuate the wounded . Gibbon was still in command in Montana the following year when he received a telegraph from General Oliver O . Howard to cut off the Nez Percé who had left Idaho , pursued by Howard . ( See Nez Perce War ) Gibbon found the Nez Perce near the Big Hole River in western Montana . At the Battle of the Big Hole Gibbon ' s forces inflicted and suffered heavy casualties , and Gibbon became pinned down by Indian sniper fire . The Nez Perce withdrew in good order after the second day of the battle . In response to Gibbon ' s urgent call for help , General Howard and an advance party arrived the next day at the battlefield . Gibbon , because of his casualties and a wound he suffered , was unable to continue his pursuit of the Nez Perce . Later career and retirement . Gibbon served temporarily as commander of the Department of the Platte in 1884 . He was promoted to brigadier general in the regular army in 1885 and took command of the Army of the Pacific Northwest . He placed Seattle , Washington , under martial law during the anti - Chinese riots of 1886 . Gibbon was required to retire due to age restrictions in 1891 . Gibbon served as president of the Iron Brigade Association , and Commander in Chief of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States from October 1895 until his death the following year . He also gave the commencement address to the West Point Class of 1886 . Death and legacy . John Gibbon died in Baltimore , Maryland , and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery . In addition to his famous and influential " Artillerist ' s Manual " of 1859 , he is the author of " Personal Recollections of the Civil War " ( published posthumously in 1928 ) and " Adventures on the Western Frontier " ( also posthumous , 1994 ) along with many articles in magazines and journals , typically recounting his time in the West and providing his opinions on the government ' s policy toward Native Americans . On July 3 , 1988 , the 125th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg , a bronze statue of John Gibbon was dedicated in the Gettysburg National Military Park , near the site of his wounding in Pickett ' s Charge . The town of Gibbon in south central Minnesota is named after him , as are Gibbon , Oregon , Gibbon , Nebraska and Gibbon , Washington . The Gibbon River and Falls in Yellowstone National Park also bears his name after his 1872 expedition there . In popular media . Gibbon was portrayed in the film " Gettysburg " by Emile O . Schmidt .