John Gibson (American soldier)
 | This article's factual accuracy is disputed. (July 2009) |
John Gibson | |
|---|---|
| Secretary of the Indiana Territory | |
| In office July, 4 1800 – November, 7 1816 | |
| Governor | William Henry Harrison Thomas Posey |
| Preceded by | (office created) |
| Succeeded by | (office abolished) |
| Governor of the Indiana Territory (acting) | |
| In office September 17, 1812 – March 3, 1813 | |
| Preceded by | William Henry Harrison |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Posey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 23, 1740 Lancaster, Pennsylvania |
| Died | 10 April 1822 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Children | None |
| Profession | Soldier Merchant Public servant |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of Great Britain United States of America |
| Battles/wars | French and Indian War |
John Gibson (May 23, 1740 – 10 April 1822) was a veteran of several wars and the Secretary of the Indiana Territory. He served twice as acting governor of the territory.
Biography
Early life
Gibson was born and raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Most of his early life was spent along the Allegheny frontier where he was a merchant trader. He held local office in several counties as a judge, clerk, and sheriff. Although there is no record of his schooling, he was reputed to be well educated for his times.[1]
In 1758, he participated in the Forbes Expedition under General John Forbes against the French at Fort Duquesne as part of the French and Indian War. He remained at Fort Pitt after the war to engage in trade with Native Americans. He was captured by Native Americans during Pontiac's Rebellion while trading in the west and was condemned to be burnt, but escaped death when he was adopted by an old Indian woman whose son had died in battle. He remained with the Delaware tribe for several years, where he was given the name Horsehead. When released from his captivity, he continued in the Indian trade. He eventually took as his wife a relative of Logan.[2] the Mingo leader.
On April 30, 1774, a group of Virginia frontiersmen led by Daniel Greathouse murdered a number of Mingos, among them Gibson's wife, who was pregnant and caring for their infant daughter. These Mingo had been living near the mouth of Yellow Creek, and had been lured to the cabin of Joshua Baker, a settler and rum trader who lived across the Ohio River from their village. The Natives in Baker’s cabin were all murdered, except for Gibson's infant child, who was spared with the intention of giving her to her father. At least two canoes were dispatched from the Yellow Creek village, but they were repelled by Greathouse’s men concealed along the river. In all, approximately a dozen were murdered in the cabin and on the river.
Gibson participated in Dunmore's War on British side. After the Battle of Point Pleasant, he acted as interpreter for Lord Dunmore. It was to Gibson that Logan delivered his famous speech.
In the early stages of the American Revolutionary War, Gibson was active in Indian negotiations. He raised a regiment and led it into battle and served in various other regiments of the Virginia Line of the Continental Army, rising to the rank of colonel. Gibson commanded a regiment during the battles in New York and stayed in the theater until after the retreat through the Jerseys. He was then reassigned to command the army on the western front and left in command of forces at Fort Laurens during the harsh winter of 1778–1779, during which the fort was subjected to a siege by British and native forces. After the war he was a judge in Allegheny County, major-general and commanding officer of the militia, and a member of Pennsylvania's constitutional convention in 1790.[3][4]
Indiana Territory
U.S. President John Adams appointed Gibson to be secretary of the Indiana Territory in 1800, despite his being 66 years old. Gibson arrived in the territory in July of that year and took up his duties. Governor William Henry Harrison did not arrive in the territory until January of the next year in which time Gibson served as acting-governor. One of his first acts as secretary was to conduct a census of the territory. It took him a full year of investigation to population of slightly less than five thousand. Gibson's relationship with the local tribes proved invaluable to Harrison during the numerous treaty negotiations in the early part of his term. Gibson, who spoke several of the native languages, was the first to become aware of Tecumseh's attempt to massacre the citizens of Vincennes in 1810 and was able to quickly gather together soldiers to prevent the situation from escalating.[4]
He became acting-governor again in the summer of 1812 while Harrison was out of the territory. The Indiana Confederacy led by Tecumseh began to make aggressive movements and attacked Fort Harrison, and Gibson called up the militia and organized several regiments to go to its aid. He was also instrumental in negotiating treaties with the Lenape and other tribes and preventing them from entering the war against the United States. Gibson remained acting governor once war broke out and Harrison led the army against the British and their native allies in the War of 1812. He returned to his secretary's position in May 1813 when Thomas Posey arrived in the territory to assume the governorship. Gibson continued in the office of secretary until Indiana achieved statehood in 1816.[5]
After completing his term as government, Gibson returned to private life, briefly remaining in Vincennes. He returned to his family in Pittsburg, where he died on April 10, 1822, having suffered from an "incurable cataract".[2] Gibson County, Indiana was named his honor.
References
Notes
Bibliography
- Gugin, Linda C. & St. Clair, James E, ed. (2006). The Governors of Indiana. Indianapolis, Indiana: Indiana Historical Society Press. ISBN 0871951967.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link) - Woollen, William Wesley (1975). Biographical and Historical Sketches of Early Indiana. Ayer Publishing. ISBN 0405068964.
