Gibbon served temporarily as commander of the Department of the Platte in 1884. He was promoted to brigadier general in the regular army in 1885 and took command of the Department of the Columbia, representing all posts in Pacific Northwest. He placed Seattle, Washington, under martial law during the anti-Chinese riots of 1886. From 1890, Gibbon was also head of the Military Division of the Atlantic. Gibbon retired in 1891 upon turning 64. Gibbon served as president of the Iron Brigade Association, and Commander in Chief of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States from October 1895 until his death the following year. He also gave the commencement address to the West Point Class of 1886. It is said the Gibbon was travelling through Wisconsin and heard of an Iron Brigade reunion and decided to stop by. Upon knocking on the door of the reunion venue, Gibbon was asked by a veteran who he was. Gibbon is said to have replied, "General Gibbon, and I'm still looking for the bastards who dressed my horse in white leggings!" At this, Gibbon was welcomed inside to take part in the reunion. Death and legacy John Gibbon died in Baltimore, Maryland, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. In addition to his famous and influential Artillerist's Manual of 1859, he is the author of Personal Recollections of the Civil War (published posthumously in 1928) and Adventures on the Western Frontier (also posthumous, 1994) along with many articles in magazines and journals, typically recounting his time in the West and providing his opinions on the government's policy toward Native Americans. On July 3, 1988, the 125th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, a bronze statue of John Gibbon was dedicated in the Gettysburg National Military Park, near the site of his wounding in Pickett's Charge. The town of Gibbon in south central Minnesota is named after him, as are Gibbonsville, Idaho; Gibbon, Oregon; Gibbon, Nebraska and Gibbon, Washington. The Gibbon River and Falls in Yellowstone National Park also bear his name after his 1872 expedition there. In popular media Gibbon was portrayed in the film Gettysburg by Emile O. Schmidt. Gibbon was a character in the alternate history novel Gettysburg: A Novel of the Civil War (2003) by Newt Gingrich and William Forstchen. Notes References Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher. Civil War High Commands. Stanford, CA: Stanford University