William St. Pierre GIBSON

     William St. Pierre GIBSON, son of Col. Jonathan Catlett GIBSON and Mary Williams SHACKELFORD, was born circa 1834 in Culpeper County, Virginia. He was also known as Pierre.

William St. Pierre GIBSON appeared on a census, enumerated 30 July 1850, in the household of his mother Mary Williams GIBSON in Culpeper County, Virginia. He was 18 years old and his occupation was listed as farmer.²

William St. Pierre GIBSON appeared on a census, enumerated 16 June 1860, in the household of his mother Mary Williams SHACKELFORD in Homeland, Culpeper County, Virginia. He was listed as W. P. Gibson, 27, commiissioned officer.

William began military service on 20 May 1861 in Culpeper County, Virginia, when he enlisted as a corporal in the "Little Fork Rangers", Company D, 4th Virginia Cavalry, Jeb Stuart's Brigade, Fitz Lee's Division. He was lated promoted to lieutenant. He was captured on July 15, 1862 at Rapidan Station, Virginia, and sent to the Old Capitol Prison in Washington and later exchanged.³

William St. Pierre GIBSON was killed in action on 29 June 1863 in Westminster, Maryland. A report by Gen. J. E. B. Stuart describing the activities of his cavalry preceeding the Battle of Gettysburg includes the following concerning the actions of Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry June 29, 1863: "The head of the column, following a ridge road, reached Westminster about 5 p.m. At this place, our advance was obstinately disputed for a short time by a squadron of the First Delaware Cavalry, but what were not killed were either captured or saved themselves by precipitate flight. In this brief skirmish, two officers of the Fourth Virginia Cavalry (Lieuts. Pierre Gibson and John W. Murray) were killed. Gallant and meritorious, they were noble sacrifices to the cause. The ladies of the place begged to be allowed to superintend their internment, and, in accordance with their wishes, the bodies of these young heroes were left in their charge."

According to Ron Blair of Westminster, and a Civil War buff for 40 years, he discovered that Lt. Gibson was not killed by the 1st Delaware Cavalry, as reported, but by a citizen of Westminster armed with a shotgun loaded with buckshot. Mr. Blair's research showed that in the first rank of four were 1st Lt. John William Murray on the left, James Franklin Lumsden, and John Allen Randolph, all of Company E, with 2nd Lt. Gibson of Company D on the right. Lt. Gibson was shot in the head, killed instantly, and fell in front of the F. A. Sharrer establishment at the corner of Old Washington Road and Main Street. Both Gibson and Murray were buried in a common grave, side by side, on July 1, 1863, in the main cemetery in Westminster. They were re-buried in the Ascension Episcopal Church Cemetery in Westminster on August 13, 1863, where Murray's grave remains. Gibson's body was removed and taken to the Fairview Cemetery in Culpeper, Virginia and re-buried there on May 2, 1867.

Mr. Blair was researching the relationsip between Murray and Gibson. He has a number of letters that Murray wrote to his wife during the Civil War, and in several of them, he mentions Gibson. From the letters he infers that the men were friends both before and during the war. In one of the letters there is something about Gibson being in Richmond and would let Murray's wife know what to do with the tobacco crop. Gibson was a civilian at the time. Gibson lived in Culpeper and Murray lived in Powhatan, and they do not appear to have been related. Mr. Blair is still researching the connection. He sites the book Just South of Gettysburg as a source of information for events in Westminster.^4,3 He was buried on 22 May 1867 in Fairview Cemetery, Culpeper, Virginia.⁵