I can't believe I just found your web site after all the years i have been working on my family's ancestry!
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There is a Wolcott descendent I would like you to add to your web site His name is Alfred Gibbs. Laura Wolcott married Colonel George Gibbs, III, in 1810. Their sixth and last child, Francis S. Gibbs is my 2nd great-grandfather.
Their fourth child, Alfred Gibbs, graduated from West Point in 1846, served on the frontier, in the Mexican American War, Civil War and continued his service to the country on the frontier again— this time as the first major of the famous US 7th Cavalry. Below is a very brief recap of his career that I compiled for my condensed genealogy of my family:
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ALFRED GIBBS, George's third son, was born at Sunswick April 22, 1823. He attended Dartmouth before entering West Point. Among his graduating class of 1846 were George McLellan, Stonewall Jackson, George Pickett and Ambrose Burnside. He received two brevets for gallantry and Mexican-American War. His pre-Civil War career was in cavalry service in Texas, New Mexico and California. He was badly wounded by Apaches during frontier service in 1857—a wound that would plague him his whole life. It was while he was in Texas that he met and married Peggy Foushee Blair of Richmond, VA, the sister of a fellow officer. The start of the Civil War found Alfred in Texas where he was captured by Texas Confederate troops. After being exchanged, he commanded the only Union army volunteer infantry regiment that was converted entirely to a cavalry regiment: The 130th New York Infantry became the 1st NY Dragoons in August of 1863 and served in Virginia for the remainder of the Civil War.
meritorious service and was twice wounded in the
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In October of 1864 he was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers. He then commanded a cavalry brigade under General Phil Sheridan in the Shenandoah and Appomattox campaigns and was present at the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia on April 9, 1865. He received three brevet general awards for meritorious service in three key battles, Trevilian Station, Opequon (3rd Winchester) and Five Forks.
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After the war, Alfred was appointed the first major of the newly formed 7th US Cavalry and was acting commander until George Custer came to relieve him in November, 1866. “His poor health—attributed to the wound received in 1857—kept Gibbs for the most part in garrison, but he nonetheless made is mark on his unit…Libbie Custer said of Alfred:
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General Gibbs was a famous disciplinarian, and he had also the quaintest manner of fetching every one to the etiquettical standard he knew to be necessary. He was witty, and greatly given to joking, and yet perfectly unswerving in the performance of the most insignificant duty." "General Etiquette" his associates labeled him. The regimental band, destined to become a bright ornament of the 7th, was largely the creation of Major Gibbs..." [1]
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Alfred spent his last 3 years on hard duty, patrolling the Western plains for raiding Native Americans to protect the westward expansion of the railroad and pioneers. His previous injuries and harsh frontier duty took its toll, he died of "congestion of the brain" on December 26, 1868. He was survived by his wife and two sons: Alfred Wolcott Gibbs who had a long career as an engineer; and John Blair Gibbs, a surgeon, who was killed in the first days of the Spanish American war.
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[1] Adapted from Life in Custer’s Cavalry: Diaries and Letters of Albert and Jennie Barnitz, 1867-69, edited by Robert M. Utley (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1987)
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I think he would be a great addition to your web-site.
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Their fourth child, Alfred Gibbs, graduated from West Point in 1846, served on the frontier, in the Mexican American War, Civil War and continued his service to the country on the frontier again— this time as the first major of the famous US 7th Cavalry. Below is a very brief recap of his career that I compiled for my condensed genealogy of my family:
***************************
ALFRED GIBBS, George's third son, was born at Sunswick April 22, 1823. He attended Dartmouth before entering West Point. Among his graduating class of 1846 were George McLellan, Stonewall Jackson, George Pickett and Ambrose Burnside. He received two brevets for gallantry and Mexican-American War. His pre-Civil War career was in cavalry service in Texas, New Mexico and California. He was badly wounded by Apaches during frontier service in 1857—a wound that would plague him his whole life. It was while he was in Texas that he met and married Peggy Foushee Blair of Richmond, VA, the sister of a fellow officer. The start of the Civil War found Alfred in Texas where he was captured by Texas Confederate troops. After being exchanged, he commanded the only Union army volunteer infantry regiment that was converted entirely to a cavalry regiment: The 130th New York Infantry became the 1st NY Dragoons in August of 1863 and served in Virginia for the remainder of the Civil War.meritorious service and was twice wounded in the
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In October of 1864 he was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers. He then commanded a cavalry brigade under General Phil Sheridan in the Shenandoah and Appomattox campaigns and was present at the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia on April 9, 1865. He received three brevet general awards for meritorious service in three key battles, Trevilian Station, Opequon (3rd Winchester) and Five Forks.
*************************
After the war, Alfred was appointed the first major of the newly formed 7th US Cavalry and was acting commander until George Custer came to relieve him in November, 1866. “His poor health—attributed to the wound received in 1857—kept Gibbs for the most part in garrison, but he nonetheless made is mark on his unit…Libbie Custer said of Alfred:
************************
General Gibbs was a famous disciplinarian, and he had also the quaintest manner of fetching every one to the etiquettical standard he knew to be necessary. He was witty, and greatly given to joking, and yet perfectly unswerving in the performance of the most insignificant duty." "General Etiquette" his associates labeled him. The regimental band, destined to become a bright ornament of the 7th, was largely the creation of Major Gibbs..." [1]
*************************
Alfred spent his last 3 years on hard duty, patrolling the Western plains for raiding Native Americans to protect the westward expansion of the railroad and pioneers. His previous injuries and harsh frontier duty took its toll, he died of "congestion of the brain" on December 26, 1868. He was survived by his wife and two sons: Alfred Wolcott Gibbs who had a long career as an engineer; and John Blair Gibbs, a surgeon, who was killed in the first days of the Spanish American war.
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[1] Adapted from Life in Custer’s Cavalry: Diaries and Letters of Albert and Jennie Barnitz, 1867-69, edited by Robert M. Utley (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1987)
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I think he would be a great addition to your web-site.
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Cullums
Biographical Register Recap
Biographical Register of the Officers & Graduates
of the US Military Academy at West Point, NY
by Bvt. Maj.-Gen. George W. Cullum, 1891.,
pgs 293-295
Note: the
text is changed only to modernize state abbreviations and to more of an outline
form for easier reading. Promotions are preceded with an * and are in caps.
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Alfred Gibbs Military History:
1313.
(Born NY) ALFRED GIBBS ...(Ap'd
NY). Class Rank 42
Military
History. - Cadet in the Military Academy, July 1,
1842, to July 1, 1846,
when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to
*Bvt. Second Lieut., Mounted Rifles, July 1, 1846.
I. Served in garrison at Jefferson Barracks, MO,
1846 ; in the
II.
War with Mexico,
1846-48, being engaged in the
1.
Siege of Vera Cruz, Mar. 9-29,1847, -
2.
Battle of Cerro Gordo, Apr. 17-18,
1847, where he was wounded,
*Bvt. First Lieut., Apr. 18, 1847, For Gallant
& meritorious Service in the Battle of Cerro
Gordo, Mexico
3.
Battle of Contreras, Aug. 19-20, 1847
4.
Battle of Churubusco, and in Kearny's charge on the San Antonio Garita, Aug. 20, 1847
5.
Battle of Chapultepec, Sep. 13, 1847 and
6.
Assault and Capture of the City of Mexico, Sep. 13-14, 1847
*Bvt. Captain, Sep. 13, 1847, For Gallant Conduct at
Garita De Belen, City of Mexico
*Second Lieut., Mounted Rifles, Dec.
31, 1847
III.
Aide-de-Camp to Major-General P. F. Smith, Mar.
27, 1848, to July 1, 1856
1848
in Mexico
1848-49
en route to California
1849-52
Pacific Division
1852-56
Department of Texas
*First Lieut., Mounted Rifles, May 31, 1853
IV.
Frontier Duty
1856-57
Ft. Fillmore, NM
1857
Scouting being engaged against Apache Indians in a Skirmish at
Cooke's
Spring, NM, Mar. 8, 1857, where he was severely wounded
1857-58
Ft. Union, NM Mar 24 to Sep 15 1848 Adjutant Mounted Rifles
1858-60
Recruiting Service & conducting recruits to NM
1860
Navajo Expedition, NM
1860-61Albuquerque,
NM Depot Commissary
* Bvt. Captain, Staff - Asst. Adjutant-General,
May 11, 1861 :
Declined
*Captain, Mounted Rifles, May 13, 1861:
and 3D Cavalry, Aug. 3, 1861
1861, July 8 on March to Ft.
Fillmore, NM being captured by Texas Insurgents at San Augustin Springs, NM and paroled until exchanged, Aug. 27,
1862
V. Served during the Rebellion of the Seceding
States, 1862-66
1. Dec 1861- Aug 1862 in command of Ft.
Wayne, MI
*Colonel, 130th NY Volunterrs, Sep
6, 1862
2. 1862-63
Sep
15, 1862 - June 1863 Suffolk, VA
a.
Deserted House, Jan 29, 1863
b.
Defense of Suffolk, May 11-20, 1863
Major
Keye’s Pennisular Expedition towards Richmond, June 13-July 12 1863
3. 1863
*Colonel 1ST NY Dragoons, July 1863
a.
July 19-Aug 1, 1868 HQ of Provost Marshal of the Army of the Potomac
b.
Aug 1- Nov 26 Organizing the Regiment of 130th NY Volunteers as Cavalry: 1st NY Dragoons at
Manassas Plains, and guarding the Orange & Alexandria RR. Skirmishes Oct 17 and Nov 9
c.
Nov 26-Apr 1 1864 in command of Cavalry Reserve Brigade
d.
Dec 1863 engaged in guarding supply train during Mine Run operations
4. 1864
Nov
26, 1863 -Apr 1 1864 in command of Cavalry Reserve Brigade
a.
Attack at Barnet’s Ford Feb 11, 1864
b.
Richmond Campaign, commanding Cavalry Reserve Brigade, 1st Cav.
Division Army of Potomac, May 7-Aug 5, 1864
engaged in:
1-Combat
of Todd’s Tavern May 7, 1864
2-Capture
of Spottsylvania Courthouse May 8, 1864
3-“Sheridan’s
First Raid” to Haxall’s Landing May 9-24 participating in
Beaver Dam May 9-10 Hawe’s Shop May 28
Yellow Tavern May 11 Old Church May 30
Meadow Bridge May 12 Mechanicsville May 12
Hanover Town May 27 Cold Harbor May 31-June 1
4-“Sheridan’s
Second Raid” to Trevillian Station and Light-house Point June
7-28, 1864 participating in:
Trevillian
Station June 12 Tunstall’s
Station June 21
Mallory’s
Ford June 12 Darby
Town June 28
*Bvt. Major, June 11, 1864, For Gallant And
Meritorious Services at The Battle of Trevillian Station,
VA
5-
Shenandoah Campaign
Aug
6-Dec 8 Commanding Regiment engaged in skirmishes at
Newtown
Aug 11 Smithfield Aug 28
Cedarville
Aug 16 Crossing Opequan
Aug 29
Kearneysville
Aug 25 Battle of Opequan Sep
19
Shepardstown
Aug 25 Battle of Fisher’s
Hill Sep 22
*Bvt. Lieut
Col. Sep 19, 1864, For Gallant And Meritorious Services at The
Battle of Winchester, VA
Skrimishes
of Mount Jackson Sep 23 and
New
Market Sep 25 Tom’s Run
Oct 9
Port
Republic Sep 26 Woodstock
Races Oct 9
Cross
Keys Sep 28 Strasburg
Oct 14
Battle
of Cedar Creek Oct 19
Skirmish
of Middletown Nov 12
*Brig.-General, U.S. Volunteers, Oct 19, 1864
Dec
12-30 Cavalry Reserve Brigade
Commanding
Raid on Gordonsville Dec 9-29
Dec
30-Jan 15 1865 Cavalry Division
5. 1865
Jan
18- Feb 5 leave of absence
Feb
27-Mar 20 Command of Reserve Cav. Brigade, Sheridan’s 6th Raid
on Virginia Central & Danville RR & James River Canal, being March 14-15 Actions of North &
South Anna Bridges
Mar
29-Apr 9 Command of Cavalry Brigade in final Attack & Pursuit of the Rebel
Army of Virginia being engaged in:
Battle
of Dinwiddie Court House Mar 31
Battle
of Five Forks Apr 1
Battle
of Sailor’s Creek Apr 6
Action
at Appommatox Station Apr 8
and
Surrender of General R.E. Lee t Appomattox CH Apr 9 1865
*Bvt Colonel, Mar 13, 1865 for Gallant and
Meritorious Service at Five Forks VA
*Bvt
Brig.General, US Army Mar 13, 1865 for Gallant and Meritorious
Service in the Field During the Rebellion
*Bvt
Maj. General, US VolunteersMar 13, 1865
for Gallant and Meritorious Service
in the Field During the Rebellion
*Bvt Maj. General, US Army Mar 13, 1865 for Gallant and Meritorious Service in the Field During the Rebellion
Aug
20-Oct 17 in Command of 1st Brigade Cavalry Forces (Military
Division of the Gulf
Oct
17-Dec 15 in Command of 1st Division
6. 1866
Jan
15-April 30, 1865 leave of absence
Feb
1 - Mustered out volunteer service
Apr
30-Sep 30 Recruiting service
VI. Frontier Duty 1867-1868
*Major, 7th Cavalry, July 28, 1866
Oct
- Jan 4 1867 Ft. Riley KA
Jan
4-Apr 1 Ft. Harker KA
May-July
Ft. Hays KA
Sep
15-Nov 6 Ft. Harker KA
Nov
7, 1867 -Sep 1868 Ft. Leavenworth KA
Sep
68-Nov 68 Fts. Dodge & Harker
Dec
68 Ft Leavenworth
Died, Dec 26, 1868 at Fort Leavenworth, KA aged
44
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