David Bell McKibbin (5 April 1831 – 8 November 1890) was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

officer who was made a brevet brigadier general in the final weeks of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. Born to a local politician in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, McKibbin studied at the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

and served in the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

, but resigned due to poor health. He rejoined the

regular army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a ...

in 1855 and served in

Washington Territory The Washington Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington. It was created from the ...

, fighting in the

Puget Sound War The Puget Sound War was an armed conflict that took place in the Puget Sound area of the state of Washington in 1855–56, between the United States military, local militias and members of the Native American tribes of the Nisqually, Muck ...

before going east when the

broke out in 1861. As a company and battalion commander in the 14th Infantry Regiment, McKibbin fought with the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the primary field army of the Union army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the Battle of ...

in the

Seven Days Battles The Seven Days Battles were a series of seven battles over seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. Confederate States Army, Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army ...

, the

Second Battle of Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...

, and the

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam ( ), also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the Southern United States, took place during the American Civil War on September 17, 1862, between Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virgi ...

. He commanded the 158th Pennsylvania Infantry in Virginia and North Carolina from late 1862 to mid-1863, and commanded the 14th Infantry for less than a month from May 1864 to his capture at the Battle of Bethesda Church. While a prisoner of war, McKibbin was brevetted twice for his actions during the

Overland Campaign The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, towards the end of the American Civil War. Lieutenant general (United States), Lt. G ...

. He was exchanged late that year and returned to the 14th Infantry as a battalion commander, but did not go back into combat. In the northern hemisphere spring of 1865 McKibbin was made a brevet brigadier general in recognition of his war service, and commanded the 214th Pennsylvania Infantry on garrison duty after the end of the war. Postwar, he continued his army career but retired due to health conditions arising from his time as a prisoner of war.

Early life and antebellum service

McKibbin was born in

on 5 April 1831, the sixth child of local Democratic politician and financier Chambers McKibbin and Jane Bell McKibbin. His brothers included Joseph C. McKibbin, Chambers McKibbin, and Robert P. McKibbin, all of whom also served as Army officers. He entered and was accepted to the

at West Point from Pennsylvania on 1 July 1846, going on

sick leave Sick leave (or paid sick days or sick pay) is paid time off from work that workers can use to stay home to address their health needs without losing pay. It differs from paid vacation time or time off work to deal with personal matters, because ...

from 4 November 1847 to June 1848, during a portion of which he served in the

as a volunteer aide-de-camp to General James Bankhead. Following his return to West Point, McKibbin resigned on 31 October 1848 as a result of Mexican fever contracted during his service. He was appointed a 2nd lieutenant in the newly activated 9th Infantry on 3 March 1855, and was on recruiting duty until 7 July after which he served with the regiment at

Fort Monroe Fort Monroe is a former military installation in Hampton, Virginia, at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula, United States. It is currently managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth o ...

until 15 December. McKibbin was sent to California via the

Isthmus of Panama The Isthmus of Panama, historically known as the Isthmus of Darien, is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, linking North America, North and South America. The country of Panama is located on the i ...

with the regiment, serving with the regiment in

during the

. Mentioned for bravery in combat, he commanded the escort to the Astronomical Party of the Northwestern Boundary Commission from 22 July to 8 December 1858.

American Civil War

As tensions increased in the leadup to the

, McKibbin was promoted to

1st lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a sen ...

on 1 March 1861. Following the outbreak of the war, he was ordered to

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

on 21 April to report to the

Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

and became a captain on 14 May, commanding Company H in the newly created 14th Infantry. McKibbin was placed on mustering duty for the regiment at

Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County, New Jersey, Mercer County. It was the federal capital, capital of the United States from November 1 until D ...

and

Elmira, New York Elmira () is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in and the county seat of Chemung County, New York, United States. It is the principal city of the Elmira, New York, metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses Chemung County. ...

from 7 June, and was on recruiting duty for it from August until 29 September. He was sent to the

with the regiment, distinguishing himself at the

Battle of Gaines's Mill The Battle of Gaines' Mill, sometimes known as the Battle of Chickahominy River, took place on June 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as the third of the Seven Days Battles which together decided the outcome of the Union (American Civil War) ...

and in the rest of the

during the

Peninsula Campaign The Peninsula campaign (also known as the Peninsular campaign) of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March to July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The oper ...

while fighting alongside his brother Chambers. Wounded in the head during the

on 30 August 1862, he commanded the 2nd Battalion of the regiment at the

on 17 September, during which it supported artillery batteries at

Antietam Creek Antietam Creek () is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 15, 2011 tributary of the Potomac River located in south central Pennsylvania and western Maryland in the ...

. McKibbin became

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

of the 158th Pennsylvania Infantry on 24 November, leading it in Virginia and as part of the Keystone Brigade of the District of

Pamlico The Pamlico (also ''Pampticough'', ''Pomouik'', ''Pomeiok'') were Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans of North Carolina. They spoke an Algonquian languages, Algonquian language also known as ''Pamlico'' or Carolina Algonquia ...

in the

Department of North Carolina Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

. After the regiment was mustered out on 12 August 1863, McKibbin served as an aide-de-camp to General Romeyn B. Ayres, commander of the 2nd Division of

V Corps 5th Corps, Fifth Corps, or V Corps may refer to: France * 5th Army Corps (France) * V Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * V Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Arm ...

of the Army of the Potomac, between 25 September and November, and was on duty at the draft rendezvous in

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...

until May 1864. He assumed command of the 14th Infantry, now reduced to battalion strength, upon his return in May, but was wounded twice and captured at the Battle of Bethesda Church during the

on 2 June 1864. He was made a brevet

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

and a brevet lieutenant colonel on 1 August 1864 for his "gallant service" at the Battles of North Anna and Bethesda Church, respectively. McKibbin was imprisoned successively at

Libby Prison Libby Prison was a Confederate States of America, Confederate prison at Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. In 1862 it was designated to hold officer prisoners from the Union Army, taking in numbers from the nearby Seven Days battl ...

, at Camp Oglethorpe in

Macon, Georgia Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. Situated near the Atlantic Seaboard fall line, fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is southeast of Atlanta and near the ...

, and at Camp Sorghum in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

until paroled in October, but remained at Camp Parole until exchanged in December. After serving with the 14th Infantry in New York until February 1865, McKibbin remained on recruiting duty in New York until April; he was promoted to brevet colonel and brevet brigadier general (both Volunteer and Regular Army) on 13 March 1865 for "gallant and meritorious service" during the war. McKibbin became the Colonel of the 214th Pennsylvania Infantry on 5 April and led it in the Army of the Shenandoah and in the garrison of Washington, D.C. until it was mustered out on 30 April 1866.

Later life

McKibbin was on leave until August 1866, and transferred to the 32nd Infantry on 21 September, then became a major of the 10th Infantry on 15 September 1867. He commanded the post of Davids' Island while on recruiting duty from August 1866 to 2 September 1868, after which he went on leave again until 15 March 1869. After spending a couple months awaiting orders, McKibbin served on

reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Union ...

duty in Virginia until February 1870. While on recruiting duty until January 1871, he transferred to the 10th Cavalry on 31 December 1870. McKibbin received permission to delay moving to his new assignment and took a leave of absence until 26 March 1871, joining the regiment in the

Indian Territory Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...

until 1 August, when he went on sick leave with a surgeon's certificate of disability, which lasted until 5 January 1872. Returning to the regiment, McKibbin left on 11 December for leave that lasted up to 8 February 1873, then rejoined it in Texas but again went on sick leave with a certificate of disability from 28 November to 10 July 1874. McKibbin served at Fort Richardson until 26 September, when he went on sick leave before retiring on 31 May 1875 due to "chronic

rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including a ...

and

paralysis Paralysis (: paralyses; also known as plegia) is a loss of Motor skill, motor function in one or more Skeletal muscle, muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory d ...

of the left side", a result of his time as a prisoner of war. He died of throat cancer at the Garfield Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C. on 8 November 1890, being buried at the

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

Personal life

McKibben married Jennie Frances Young before the Civil War; their son, Chambers Hawthrone, who went on to become an Army officer, was born at

Fort Steilacoom Fort Steilacoom was founded by the U.S. Army in 1849 near Lake Steilacoom. It was among the first military fortifications built by the U.S. north of the Columbia River in what was to become the State of Washington. The fort was constructed due ...

on 15 January 1861 while McKibben was stationed in Washington Territory. Jennie died in childbirth in Philadelphia at age 24 on 19 June 1862 with a stillborn daughter. After the Civil War ended, he married Marion Wolfersberger, who survived him and died on 11 February 1901, being buried beside him at the Arlington National Cemetery. Following the end of the Civil War, McKibbin became an active member of the

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or, simply, the Loyal Legion, is a United States military order organized on April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Union Army. The original membership was consisted ...

, an association of Union officer veterans.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * *

External links

Gravestone at Arlington National Cemetery
{{DEFAULTSORT:McKibbin, David B. 1831 births 1890 deaths United States Army officers Military personnel from Pittsburgh Union army colonels People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War United States Military Academy alumni American military personnel of the Mexican–American War American military personnel of the Indian Wars Burials at Arlington National Cemetery American Civil War prisoners of war held by the Confederate States of America