William J. Gibson

This article is about the 19th century Wisconsin politician who died in the Civil War. For others with a similar name, see William Gibson (disambiguation).

• Mame G. (Scott)
• (b. 1862; died 1944)

William J. Gibson
Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 19th district
In office January 1, 1855 –January 5, 1857
Profession	Physician
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Volunteers Union Army
Years of service	1862–1863
Rank	Major, USV
Unit	31st Reg. Wis. Vol. Infantry
Battles/wars	American Civil War

William J. Gibson (died September 9, 1863) was an American physician, politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was a member of the Wisconsin Senate (1855 & 1856) and State Assembly (1854) representing a large swathe of the then-lightly populated northwest Wisconsin. He was one of dozens of lawmakers in the 1856 session caught up in the La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad bribery scheme. He died of disease while serving as a Union Army officer in the American Civil War.

Biography

William J. Gibson came to Wisconsin some time before 1852. He first resided in Rock County, Wisconsin, but soon moved to Jackson County, Wisconsin. ^[1] He was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Wisconsin Senate in 1852, but did not receive the nomination. ^[2] The next year, however, he received the Democratic nomination for Wisconsin State Assembly in his district and won election in the fall. ^{[3] [4]} At the time, his district comprised a wide swathe of western Wisconsin, encompassing all the territory from the northern border of Vernon County all the way to what is now the southern border of Bayfield County, excluding Pierce County and counties touching the Minnesota border north of Pierce. ^[5]

In 1854, he won the Democratic nomination for Wisconsin Senate in his district—the 19th State Senate district. ^[4] He was elected in the Fall, in the Senate, his district spanned from Crawford County to what is now Ashland County, comprising virtually all of western Wisconsin. After his term in the Senate, Gibson came to reside in La Crosse, Wisconsin. ^[6]

Politically, Gibson was closely aligned with Albert D. La Due, who was a prominent Democrat in early western Wisconsin. They were supporters of Stephen A. Douglas and his Kansas–Nebraska Act. ^[5]

Gibson, along with many Wisconsin legislators of 1856, was tainted by a corrupt railroad land grant scheme. Bribe recipients included the Governor, William A. Barstow, and dozens of state officials. Gibson was said to have received $38,000 worth of the corrupt railroad bonds (more than $1.38 million adjusted for inflation to 2023). ^[7] Nevertheless, Gibson remained active in state politics and was a frequent attendee at Democratic conventions during this era.

In the second year of the American Civil War, Gibson volunteered for service in the Union Army and was commissioned major of the 31st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, under Colonel Isaac E. Messmore. The regiment left Wisconsin on March 1, 1863, and went south by rail to Cairo, Illinois, then boarded boats and proceeded to Columbus, Kentucky. The regiment spent the summer and fall in Columbus on picket duty. They suffered significantly from disease during this time, with often half the regiment unfit for duty, causing four to eight deaths per week. ^[8] It was during this wave of illness, in September 1863, that Gibson caught a fever and died within a matter of days. His wife and daughter came to retrieve his body and returned him to La Crosse, where he was buried. ^{[1] [9]}

References

1. "Died at his Post". Semi-Weekly Wisconsin. September 18, 1863. p. 1. Retrieved February 17, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
2. "The Democratic Caucus". The Weekly Wisconsin. September 15, 1852. p. 2. Retrieved February 17, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
3. "Legislative Nominations". Wisconsin State Journal . October 6, 1853. p. 3. Retrieved February 17, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
4. "Annals of the Legislature". The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin 1882 (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1882. pp.  187, 189, 191 . Retrieved February 17, 2023.
5. Butterfield, Consul Willshire (1881). History of La Crosse County, Wisconsin. Western Historical Co. pp.  525–526 . Retrieved February 17, 2023.
6. "La Crosse Items". Wisconsin State Journal . May 30, 1857. p. 2. Retrieved February 17, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
7. "The Corruptionists–––Who are They!". Wisconsin State Journal . October 30, 1858. p. 2. Retrieved February 17, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
8. Quiner, Edwin B. (1866). "Regimental History–Thirty-First Infantry". The Military History of Wisconsin. Clarke & Co. pp. 793–799. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
9. "Thirty-First Regiment Infantry". Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, 1861–1865 (Report). Vol. 2. Office of the Adjutant General of Wisconsin. 1886. p.  444 . Retrieved February 17, 2023.

Wisconsin State Assembly
Preceded by Albert D. La Due	Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Buffalo – Chippewa – Clark – Jackson – La Crosse district January 2, 1854 –January 1, 1855	Succeeded by Chase A. Stevens
Wisconsin Senate
Preceded by Benjamin Allen	Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 19th district January 1, 1855 –January 5, 1857	Succeeded by Temple Clark