Randall L. Gibson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Randall L. Gibson
United States Senator from Louisiana
In office March 4, 1883 – December 15, 1892
Preceded by	William P. Kellogg
Succeeded by	Donelson Caffery
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 1st district
In office March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1883
Preceded by	Effingham Lawrence
Succeeded by	Carleton Hunt
Personal details
Born	(1832-09-10)September 10, 1832 Versailles, Kentucky
Died	December 15, 1892(1892-12-15) (aged 60) Hot Springs, Arkansas
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	Yale University
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Confederate States of America
Branch/service	Confederate States Army
Years of service	1861–1865
Rank	Brigadier General
Battles/wars	American Civil War

Randall Lee Gibson (September 10, 1832 – December 15, 1892) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a member of the House of Representatives and later as a U.S. Senator for Louisiana. During the American Civil War, he was a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army. After the war, he helped lead important institutions like the Smithsonian Institution and Tulane University.

Early Life and Education

Randall Gibson was born in 1832 in Versailles, Kentucky. His father was Tobias Gibson, who owned a large farm and had enslaved people working there. His mother's family also owned enslaved people.

Gibson's family had a long history in America. His great-great-grandfather, Gideon Gibson, was a free man who owned land and enslaved people in the 1700s. When his family moved to South Carolina, the governor confirmed his status as a free person with full rights.

When Randall was a child, his family moved to Louisiana. He attended local schools there. For college, he went North and graduated from Yale University in 1853. He then returned to Louisiana to study law at the University of Louisiana Law School, which is now Tulane University.

Service During the Civil War

Randall Lee Gibson around 1860.

After Louisiana left the Union, Gibson became an assistant to Governor Thomas O. Moore. In May 1861, he joined the 1st Louisiana Artillery as a captain.

He quickly rose through the ranks. By August 1861, he was a colonel of the 13th Louisiana Infantry. Gibson fought in major battles like the Battle of Shiloh. He also took part in the 1862 Kentucky Campaign and the Battle of Chickamauga.

In January 1864, he was promoted to brigadier general. He fought in the Atlanta Campaign and the Franklin-Nashville Campaign. Later, he helped defend Mobile, Alabama. He bravely led his troops to hold Spanish Fort during a siege. His soldiers escaped safely at night in April 1865. Gibson was captured in May 1865 but was later pardoned in September 1866.

Political Career After the War

After the Civil War, Gibson returned to Louisiana. He worked to help the state recover from the war's damage. Many farms and levees (walls that hold back rivers) were destroyed.

In 1874, Gibson was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives. He served from 1875 to 1883. He worked hard to get federal help for repairing the Mississippi River levees. He convinced other lawmakers that this was important for the whole country.

In 1882, the Louisiana state legislature chose Gibson to be a United States Senator. He served in the Senate from 1883 until his death in 1892.

During his time in politics, some people questioned his family's background. Gibson looked into it and found that his ancestors had been property owners for a long time. This information satisfied most people at the time.

Randall Gibson passed away in Hot Springs, Arkansas, while still serving as a senator. He was buried in Lexington Cemetery in Lexington, Kentucky.

Remembering Randall Gibson

Gibson Hall at Tulane University is named after Senator Gibson. He played a key role in helping the public University of Louisiana become the private Tulane University after the war. The town of Tigerville in Terrebonne Parish was also renamed Gibson, Louisiana in his honor.