Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/296

 GIBBONS

GIBBS

the public school system and in the cause of temperance. He was one of the organizers of the Republican party in Pennsylvania and was the founder of the Friends Jurtrtial, and its editor, 1873-83. In 1845 he was married to Phebe, daughter of Thomas Earle of Philadelphia, Pa. He died in Lancaster, Pa., Dec. 9, 1883.

GIBBONS, William, delegate to the Continen- tal congress, was born in Georgia. He studied law in Charleston, S.C., vmder a Mr. Parsons, an Irish barrister, and practised in Savannah. His annual income from his law practice is said to have been £3,000 per annum. In 1774 he joined the Sons of Liberty and on May 11, 1775, was one of the party which broke open the magazine in Savannah and removed 600 pounds of the king's powder. He was a delegate to the Provincial congress of July, 1775, and on Dec. 11, 1775, was chosen a member of the committee of safety. He was a member of the Executive council in July, 1779, and was a delegate to the Continental con- gress in 1784-86. In 1786 he was made associate justice of Chatham county, in 1787 was speaker of the Georgia house of representatives, and in 1789 was jiresideut of the state constitutional convention. He died in Savannah, Ga., in 1800.

GIBBONS, William, pliysician, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., Aug. 10, 1781; youngest son of James and Eleanor (Peters), grandson of James and Jane (Sheward), great-grandson of James, and great^ grandson of John and Margery Gib- bons, English Quakers, who emigrated from Wilt- shire, and settled in Chester county. Pa., about the year 1681. He first studied under Dr. Wil- liam Darlington, a physician and botanist of Cliester county, was afterward graduated from the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania in 1805, and settled to practice in Wilmington. Del. He was interested in promot- ing the welfare of the African race; was one of the founders and managers of a school for colored children in Wilmington which was in successful ojieration for many yeai's; and was an active mem- ber of the Society for the prevention of the kid- napping of negroes. He was a member of the society of Friends and took a leading part in the controversy that resulted in the division of that society in 1827, and in 1824-28 conducted a paper called the Bereaii, in the interests of the society. About 1821 he replied to an attack on the Friends by a Presbyterian clergj-man, in a series of let- ters signed " Vindex,"' and also published a pamphlet, "Exposition of Modern Scepticism." He was a linguist and mathematician, was inter- ested in scientific research and in the culture of ornamental plants and fine fruit trees, and was one of. the first to begin silk worm culture in the United States. He was first president of the Peace society, of the Delaware temperance sf^-

eiety, and of the Delaware academy of natural sciences. He was married to Rebecca Donaldson, daughter of a Revolutionary soldier of Scotch an- cestry. Such was the respect of his fellow citi- zens that at the time of his last illness the main street of Wilmington upon which he resided was ordered closed to the passage of carriages, lest the noise should disturb him. He died in Wil- mington. Del., July 3.5, 1845.

GIBBS, Alfred, soldier, was born in Astoria, N.Y., April 22, 1823; son of George and Laura (Wolcott) Gibbs. He was graduated at the U.S. military academy in 1846, was assigned to the mounted rifles, served in the Mexican war and won two brevets: 1st lieutenant for gallantry at Cerro Gordo, where he was wounded, and cap- tain for Garita de Belen, City of Mexico. He also fought at Vera Cruz, Contreras, Churubusco- and Chapultepec. After the war he was assigned to the staff of Gen. Persifor F. Smith, and was with that officer in Mexico, Texas and California, 1848-56. He was commissioned 2d lieutenant in 1847, and 1st lieutenant. May 31, 1853, and served on the frontier till the civil war, serving in New Mexico, 1860-62. He was promoted captain, May- 13, 1861, and was taken prisoner by the Confed- erates. He was exchanged, Aug. 27, 1862, and on Sept. 6, 1862, was commissioned colonel of the 130th N.Y. regiment of volunteers. He reorgan- ized his regiment as the 1st New York dragoons- in August, 1863. He served under Sheridan and commanded a brigade, 1864-65. For action at Trevillioa Station, Va., Jan. 11, 1864, he was bre vetted major, and for Winchester, Va., lieu- tenant-colonel, and was appointed brigadier gen- eral of volunteers, Oct. 19, 1864. He was present at the surrender of Lee, and commanded a cav- alry division in the department of the Gulf in 1865-66. On March 13, 1868, he was brevetted through all the grades in the regular army to and including major-general for his services dur- ing the war. He was mustered out of the volun- teer army, Feb. 1, 1866, was made major of the 7th U.S. cavalry on July 28, 1866, and died at Fort Leavenworth. Kansas, Dec. 26, 1868.

GIBBS, George, mineralogist, was born in Newport, R.I., Jan. 7, 1776; son of George Gibbs. a prominent merchaut of Newport, and grandson of James Gibbs of Bristol, England, who came to America prior to the year 1700 and settled in Bristol, Mass., subsequently Bristol, R.I. He directed his studies to the natural sciences, esjie- cially mineralogy, and brought from a tour of Europe a collection of minerals at the time the largest in America, comprising 10.000 specimens purchased from two collections, besides many of his own collection. Among his notable visitors was Benjamin Silliman who spent weeks in ex- amination and study. Afterward, through the