Gibbon family correspondence


Collection 3272

( Bulk, 1890-1930 ) 1784-1987
(9.2 Linear feet ; 16 boxes)

Summary Information

Repository
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Creator
Gibbon family
Title
Gibbon family correspondence
ID
3272
Date [bulk]
Bulk, 1890-1930
Date [inclusive]
1784-1987
Extent
9.2 Linear feet ; 16 boxes
Author
Finding aid prepared by Megan Evans.
Sponsor
Processing made possible by a generous donation from Maxine and Howard Lewis.
Language
English
Abstract
The Gibbon family correspondence dates from 1808 to 1987 and contains the letters, postcards, and related material of the family of Dr. John Heysham Gibbon. Dr. Gibbon was a Philadelphia surgeon and professor at Jefferson Medical College, who also served as an Army surgeon in France during World War I. He was the son of Dr. Robert Gibbon of Charlotte, North Carolina and the grandson of John Heysham Gibbon and Catherine Lardner Gibbon, originally of Philadelphia. Through Catherine, the Gibbon family was related to the Biddle family of Philadelphia. Dr. John Gibbon was also the nephew of Civil War general John Gibbon and the son-in-law of another, Samuel Baldwin Marks Young. The majority of the collection consists of loose handwritten correspondence to and from members of the immediate Gibbon family as well as some of their extended relations. Included with these letters are a number of photographs, postcards, pencil drawings, and other assorted ephemera. This collection documents several important historical events and American social history of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as well as the interpersonal relationships of the Gibbon family. The collection is especially rich in World War I correspondence between Dr. Gibbon and his wife Marjorie.

Preferred citation

Cite as: [Indicate cited item or series here], Gibbon family correspondence (Collection 3272), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Return to Table of Contents »


Biographical note

Dr. John Heysham Gibbon (1871-1956), originally of Charlotte, North Carolina, was a Philadelphia surgeon and professor at Jefferson Medical College. He was the younger son of Dr. Robert Gibbon, a Confederate veteran of the Civil War, and Mary Amelia Rodgers. Dr. Gibbon’s paternal grandparents, Dr. John Heysham Gibbon and Catherine Lardner Gibbon (1799-1874) were originally from Philadelphia, but moved their family to Charlotte when Dr. Gibbon was appointed assayer to the United States Mint in that city in 1838. Catherine’s family were Quakers and related to several prominent Philadelphia families through her mother, including the Shephards and the Biddles. During the Civil War, Catherine was living in North Carolina, but maintained correspondence with her unmarried sister, Frances Lardner, who was still living in Philadelphia. Three of Catherine and John Gibbon’s sons joined the Confederate army when North Carolina seceded, however their third son, also named John Gibbon, was a graduate of West Point and maintained his loyalty to the Union. This John Gibbon was wounded at Gettysburg and later in the war was promoted to general (see HSP collection 2031). A career army man, he was later involved in the frontier wars with several Native American tribes as well as the Seattle anti-Chinese riots of 1886. After the Civil War, the Gibbon family appears to have resumed their former close relationships, with General John Gibbon and his immediate family (especially his daughter Frances Moale Gibbon) maintaining an active correspondence with that of his nephew, Dr. John H. Gibbon of Philadelphia.

Dr. Gibbon’s mother, Mary Amelia Rodgers Gibbon, died in 1877 when he was six years old and his older brother Robert was eleven. Their father remarried to Corina Pressley Harris in 1879. In 1889, Dr. Gibbon relocated to Philadelphia where he attended Jefferson Medical College (now the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University). He received his medical degree in 1891 and worked at various local hospitals until 1898 when he joined the Army as a surgeon during the Spanish-American War. For a time he was stationed at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri where he met Marjorie Young (1872-1956), the daughter of General Samuel Baldwin Marks Young (1840-1924), a Civil War veteran and personal friend of President Theodore Roosvelt. The two began a lively correspondence and, after the end of the war when Dr. Gibbon resigned from the army and took up a position at Pennsylvania Hospital, they were married in San Francisco, California in 1901. The young couple settled in Philadelphia with a house in town and one at Lynfield Farm in nearby Media, Pennsylvania. Nine months after they were married, their only daughter Marjorie Young Gibbon Battles (1902-1999) was born, followed in quick succession by brothers John “Jack” Heysham Gibbon, Jr. (1903-1973), Samuel Young Gibbon (1905-1987), and Robert Gibbon (1908-1975).

In 1917, with the United States’ entry into World War I, Dr. Gibbon volunteered as a surgeon with the American Expeditionary Forces. He was commissioned as a major and sailed for France in May 1917 with the medical unit from Pennsylvania Hospital. During the war he was stationed at Evacuation Hospital No. 10 near Le Treport, France as well as two months at Casualty Clearing Station 61 near the front lines at the Belgian town of Poperinghe. Dr. Gibbon maintained a prolific correspondence with his wife and four children throughout the war. He was sent home in December 1918, more than a month after the armistice, and resigned his commission in January 1919, having achieved the rank of colonel. In September-October 1918, Marjorie Young Gibbon and her children stayed at Lynfield Farm in Media because of the influenza pandemic, where they were able to avoid the disease that claimed the lives of many friends.

After the war, Dr. Gibbon resumed his post as professor of surgery at Jefferson Medical College, where he served until 1930, when he was named professor emeritus. Dr. Gibbon’s son John Jr. also graduated from Jefferson Medical and went on to have an illustrious surgical career of his own, developing the heart-lung machine which revolutionized open-heart surgery by allowing blood to circulate and oxygenate while bypassing the heart and lungs. Dr. John Heysham Gibbon, Sr. died in 1956 followed by Marjorie, his wife of over fifty years, only a week later.

Return to Table of Contents »


Scope and content note

The Gibbon family correspondence dates from 1808 to 1987, with bulk dates of 1890 to 1930, and contains the letters, postcards, and other associated material of the family of Dr. John Heysham Gibbon. Dr. Gibbon was a Philadelphia surgeon and professor at Jefferson Medical College, who also served as an Army surgeon in France during World War I. The majority of the collection consists of loose handwritten correspondence to and from the immediate Gibbon family as well as some of their extended relations. Included with these letters are a number of photographs, postcards, pencil drawings, and other assorted ephemera. This collection documents several important historical events and American social history of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as well as the interpersonal relationships of the Gibbon family. Highlights include the World War I letters of Dr. John Gibbon to and from his wife and children, a series of letters from Theodore Roosevelt to General Samuel B. M. Young, and the Civil War-era letters of Catherine Lardner Gibbon to and from her sister Frances Lardner. Most of the correspondence in this collection is written by Dr. Gibbon and his wife, Marjorie Young Gibbon. However, other significant portions of the collection consist of material originating with their daughter, Marjorie Young Gibbon Battles; Marjorie Young Gibbon’s father, General Samuel Baldwin Marks Young; and Dr. Gibbon’s grandmother, Catherine Lardner Gibbon. The collection is divided into five major series which correspond to the five main authors or originators of the material, as well as a sixth series that consists of unidentified and miscellaneous materials. Within each series, the letters are arranged alphabetically by major correspondent and then chronologically.

Return to Table of Contents »


Overview of arrangement

Series I. Dr. John Heysham Gibbon

Series II. Marjorie Young Gibbon

Series III. Marjorie Young Gibbon Battles

Series IV. General Samuel B. M. Young

Series V. Catherine Lardner Gibbon

Series VI. Miscellaneous

Return to Table of Contents »


Administrative Information

Publication Information

 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania ; 2015

1300 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19107
215-732-6200

Provenance

Gift of Mrs. Winthrop H. Battles; 1992 acquired

Return to Table of Contents »


Related Materials

Related materials

At the Historical Society of Pennsylvania:

John Gibbon papers (1845-1896), Collection 2031

Lardner family papers (1740-1919), Collection 2171

Other repositories:

John H. Gibbons M.D. memorabilia [1893,1917-1924], Pennsylvania Hospital Archives Section I., Series 4, Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

John H. Gibbon Papers. 1930-1981. Archives and Modern Manuscripts Collection, History of Medicine Division, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD; MS C 313.

Return to Table of Contents »


Controlled Access Headings

Subject(s)

  • Correspondence--United States--1910-1920
  • Gibbon, John H. (John Heysham), 1871-1956
  • Gibbon, John Heysham Jr., 1903-1973
  • Gibbon, John, 1827-1896
  • Influenza epidemic, 1918-1919--United States--History
  • Jefferson Medical College--History
  • Social life and customs--20th Century
  • United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Correspondence
  • World War, 1914-1918--Home front
  • World War, 1914-1918--Hospitals--France
  • World War, 1914-1918--Personal correspondence
  • World War, 1914-1918--Personal narratives, American
  • Young, Samuel Baldwin Marks, 1840-1924

Return to Table of Contents »


References

Hissem, Steve “The Hissem-Montague Family: The Heysham-Gibbon Branch,” http://shissem.com/Hissem_Heysham-Gibbon_Branch.html

Hoeber, Paul B. History of the Pennsylvania Hospital Unit (Base Hospital No. 10, USA) in the Great War. New York: 1921 [includes an essay by Dr. John H. Gibbon “Two Months at Casualty Clearing Station No. 61”; a digital copy is available through Hathi Trust].

Schumacker, Harris B. Jr. “John Heysham Gibbon, Jr. (1903-1973): a Biographical Memoir.”

Return to Table of Contents »


Collection Inventory

 Series I. Dr. John Heysham Gibbon 1883-1956 

Series description

Series I. Dr. John Heysham Gibbon dates from 1883 to 1956 and contains correspondence and other materials authored by Dr. John H. Gibbon as well as correspondence sent to him by various friends and family members. The largest group of letters in this series consists of those sent by Dr. Gibbon to his fiancé and later wife, Marjorie Young Gibbon. These letters document their courtship and subsequent relationship almost from the very beginning. It appears that while they were separated, Dr. and Mrs. Gibbon wrote to one another several times a week and often at least once a day. With the exception of the letters between 1917 and 1918, most of the letters were written during the summer months, when Mrs. Gibbon and the children left the city for vacation (usually to Rhode Island or the family’s cabin in Maine) and Dr. Gibbon had to stay behind and work.

But the largest section of his correspondence to his wife and children is from May 1917 to December 1918 when he was stationed with the United States Army in France. For the majority of the time he was stationed at Base Hospital No. 10 in Le Treport, France, which was relatively well removed from the front lines of battle. In his letters, Dr. Gibbon describes his daily activities while posted at the hospital, although he does not go into any great detail about the surgical work he performed. The hospital at Le Treport was little more than a cluster of tents and huts and was often overcrowded but seems to have been relatively well equipped and lasted through the war unscathed by German bombing.

Dr. Gibbon also spent two months at Casualty Clearing Station No. 61 near the Belgian town of Poperinghe, which was not far from the front lines. Conditions here were much rougher with constant muddy conditions and near nightly bombing raids on the nearby town. Dr. Gibbon reported often being on his feet for twelve to sixteen hours at a time on the busiest days at No. 61 but he complained the most about the days where he had few or no patients since the down time increased his longing for home. During one particularly intense night of bombing, he reported that he and another officer were required to sleep in shallow ditches covered with sheet iron.

The letters he sent home from his time in France often contained postcards, clippings, photographs, and other mementos, including Christmas programs and a piece of canvas from the wing of a German airplane which crashed near the hospital. Some of his letters from this time are in French, especially those to his daughter, Marjorie, in an effort to encourage her studies, even from afar.

Another significant number of letters in this series were sent to and from his older brother, Dr. Robert Gibbon, Jr. and his sister-in-law, Louise Wilson Gibbon. Most of the content in these letters consists of sharing family and professional news, in the days before telephones were common. Robert had his practice in their hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, where he took over after their father, Robert Gibbon, Sr. died.

This series also contains a large number of letters from Dr. John Gibbon’s unmarried first cousin, Frances Moale Gibbon. Frances, or “Fanny” as she was called by the family, was the daughter of Dr. John's uncle General John Gibbon and his wife, Frances North Moale of Baltimore. Frances appears to have lived at various locations in Virginia and Maryland throughout the correspondence, sharing her home with her aging mother and her deceased sister’s two children. Her letters are of particular interest for their anecdotes about her father as well as an account of her escape from Berlin at the outbreak of World War I.

There are also letters in this series sent to Dr. Gibbon from various friends and cousins from Charlotte and other southern cities. These correspondents include Lila H. Jones, Emily Martin Norwood, and Adele Biddle Thomas. Lastly, there are a number of letters addressed to Dr. Gibbon from various friends and colleagues congratulating him on his various professional achievements, including his appointment to Pennsylvania Hospital and as professor of surgery at Jefferson Medical College.

This series is arranged alphabetically by major correspondent and then chronologically, with several folders of printed material and other ephemera at the end of the series.

Box Folder

Letters from S.O.H. Dickinson 1888-1890, 1901 

1 1

Letters from Lila H. Jones 1894-1896 

1 2

Letters from Lila H. Jones 1897-1898 

1 3

Letters from Lila H. Jones 1901 

1 4

Letters from Corina Gibbon (step-mother) 1892-1897 

1 5

Letters from Corina Gibbon (step-mother) 1898-1903 

1 6

Letters from Frances Moale Gibbon (cousin) 1893-1895 

1 7

Letters from Frances Moale Gibbon (cousin) 1896 

1 8

Letters from Frances Moale Gibbon (cousin) 1897 

1 9

Letters from Frances Moale Gibbon and Frances McCoy (cousins) 1898-1900 

2 1

Letters from Frances Moale Gibbon and Frances McCoy 1901-1903 

2 2

Letters from Frances Moale Gibbon (cousin) including account of World War I outbreak 1914, 1917 

2 3

Letters from John "Jack" Gibbon (uncle) 1895 

2 4

Letters to Marjorie Young (fiance) 1900 

2 5

Congratulatory letters regarding engagement to Marjorie Young 1900-1901 

2 6

Letters to Marjorie Young (fiance) 1901 January-March 

2 7

Letters to Marjorie Young (fiance) 1901 April-June 

2 8

Letters to Marjorie Young (fiance) 1901 July 

3 1

Letters to Marjorie Young Gibbon (fiance/wife) 1901 August, November 

3 2

Letters to Marjorie Young Gibbon (wife) 1902 

3 3

Letters to Marjorie Young Gibbon (wife) 1905-1907 

3 4

Letters to Marjorie Young Gibbon (wife) 1908 June-July 

3 5

Letters to Marjorie Young Gibbon (wife) 1908 August-September 

3 6

Letters to Marjorie Young Gibbon (wife) 1909 June-July 

4 1

Letters to Marjorie Young Gibbon (wife) 1909 September-October 

4 2

Letters to Marjorie Young Gibbon (wife) 1910 

4 3

Letters to Marjorie Young Gibbon (wife) 1912, 1916 

4 4

Letters to Marjorie Young Gibbon (wife) while stationed in France 1917 May-September 

4 5

Letters to Marjorie Young Gibbon (wife) while stationed in France 1917 October-December 

4 6

Letters to Marjorie Young Gibbon (wife) while stationed in France (some photos) 1918 January-July 

4 7

Letters to Marjorie Young Gibbon while stationed in France/England 1918 August-December 

4 8

Letters to Marjorie Young Gibbon (wife) 1920-1923, 1934, 1943-1944 

4 9

Letters to his children 1906, 1909-1912 

5 1

Letters to his children while stationed in France, including pencil sketch of living quarters 1917 

5 2

Letters to his children while stationed in France/England, including postcards, photographs, and piece of German airplane 1918 

5 3

Letters to Marjorie Young Gibbon (Battles) (daughter) 1919-1929, 1940 

5 4

Letters from his children and grandchild 1910-1911, 1915, 1924-1926, 1929-1932, 1935, 1955 

5 5

Letters from his children while stationed in France, including (5) photographs 1917 May-June, undated 

5 6

Letters from his children while stationed in France 1917 August-December 

5 7

Letters from his children while stationed in France 1918 January-April 

5 8

Letters from his children while stationed in France 1918 May-July 

5 9

Letters from his children while stationed in France/England 1918 August-September 

5 10

Letters from his children while stationed in France/England, some photos, including accounts of Spanish influenza epidemic 1918 October-November 

5 11

Letters from John "Jack" and Samuel Gibbon (sons) 1919-1920 

5 12

Letters to Dr. Robert Gibbon, Sr. and Jr. (father and brother), Corina Gibbon (step-mother), and Anne Gibbon Lardner (aunt) 1891-1893 

6 1

Letters from Dr. Robert Gibbon, Sr. (father) 1893, 1895 

6 2

Letters from Robert and Louise Gibbon (brother and sister-in-law) 1891-1895 March 

6 3

Letters from Robert and Louise Gibbon (brother and sister-in-law) 1895 April-December 

6 4

Letters from Robert and Louise Gibbon (brother and sister-in-law) 1896 

6 5

Letters from Robert and Louise Gibbon (brother and sister-in-law) 1897 

6 6

Letters from Robert and Louise Gibbon (brother and sister-in-law) 1898 

6 7

Letters from Robert and Louise Gibbon (brother and sister-in-law) 1899 

6 8

Letters from Robert and Louise Gibbon (brother and sister-in-law) 1900-1901 

6 9

Letters from Robert and Louise Gibbon (brother and sister-in-law) 1902 

6 10

Letters from Robert and Louise Gibbon (brother and sister-in-law) 1903-1904 

6 11

Letters from Robert and Corina Gibbon (brother and step-mother) 1907-1909 

6 12

Letters from Robert Gibbon (brother) 1917-1919 

7 1

Letters from aunt Anne Gibbon Lardner 1896-1897 

7 2

Letters from "Nena and Ruby" 1887-1889 

7 3

Letters from Emily Martin Norwood (cousin) 1887, 1889-1890 

7 4

Letters from Adele Biddle Thomas ("Aunty") 1894-1895, 1898 

7 5

Letters from Adele Biddle Thomas ("Aunty") undated 

7 6

Letters from various correspondents 1883, 1887, 1892-1893, 1896-1898, 1901, 1908, 1910 

7 7

Letters regarding early appointments and elections 1896, 1899-1900, 1903, 1907, undated 

7 8

Congratulatory letters regarding election to surgeon of Pennsylvania Hospital 1903 

8 1

Congratulatory letters regarding election to professor of surgery at Jefferson Medical College 1907 

8 2

Letters from various correspondents including General John Pershing 1916-1918 

8 3

Letters from various correspondents, including some photos and casualty clearing station sandbag souvenir 1919-1929, 1935, 1941 

8 4

Medical colleges tickets and receipts 1889-1891 

8 5

World War I memorabilia, including notebook, Christmas programs, calling cards, and copy of Charles J. Biddle letter recounting airplane crash in no-man's land 1917-1918 

8 6

Assorted receipts, notes, and memorabilia, including his obituary, German vocabulary notes, and hospital patient notes 1904, 1928, 1956, undated 

8 7

Return to Table of Contents »


 Series II. Marjorie Young Gibbon 1879-1956  (Bulk, 1898-1956)

Series description

Series II. Marjorie Young Gibbon dates from 1879 to 1956, with bulk dates of 1898 to 1956, and consists of letters and other materials authored by Dr. John Gibbon’s wife, Marjorie Young Gibbon as well as correspondence sent to her from various friends and family members. The majority of the letters in this series were written to Dr. John Gibbon, from May 1917 to December 1918 while he was stationed in France during World War I. Marjorie’s early letters to her husband document their courtship and engagement as well as their early years of marriage, including the trials and tribulations of raising four children and managing two houses. During the fall and winter while the children were at school, the family lived at their townhouse in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood of Philadelphia while in the summer months she and the children retreated to their home at Lynfield Farm in Media, Pennsylvania. Marjorie often took the children on vacation over the summer to Rhode Island and Mount Desert Island, Maine, where the family had a cabin they named Camp Ouloncuit. As the children got older, they were often sent to summer camp or on vacation with extended family and friends, while Marjorie took her own trips. The letters in this series sent to her husband and children as well as her numerous datebooks document her various social and familial commitments. Of particular note are her letters to her husband from September to October 1918, which document her experiences of the Spanish influenza epidemic in Philadelphia.

Another significant portion of letters in this series are those sent to her daughter and eldest child, also named Marjorie, while she was away at boarding school at Dana Hall in Wellesley, Massachusetts. These letters demonstrate the close relationship the two shared.

Also of note in this series are letters to and from her other children John Jr., Samuel, and Robert Gibbon. Included is a folder of letters sent to Robert Gibbon from various school friends while he was at Princeton from 1924 to 1925. There are also several folders of mementos from when her children were small including hand-made birthday cards, letters to Santa Claus, and colored drawings.

Other correspondents of note include her sisters Edith Young Knight, Hannah Young Read (married to General George Read), Lillian Young Coxe, and Elizabeth Young Hanny. There are also two folders of letters in this series that were sent to Marjorie and Dr. John Gibbon from English and French friends during World War II. Of particular note are those to and from Marthe Colin, who was a friend of Dr. Gibbon’s from his time in France during World War I. When Germany invaded France, the Colin family had to flee their home in Metz in the northeast to Montpellier in the southern free zone controlled by the Vichy regime. Distressed by their predicament, Dr. and Mrs. Gibbon sent them a large package of food and supplies in 1940. The letters also recount the execution of her brother Pierre Colin, who was a member of the French resistance, at the hands of the Gestapo in 1944. The majority of these letters are written in French with some translation by Dr. Gibbon and include several photographs and newspaper clippings.

This series is arranged alphabetically by major correspondent and then chronologically, with several folders of memorabilia and two letter boxes of Marjorie Gibbon’s datebooks at the end of the series.

Box Folder

Letters from Marthe Colin (World War I friend of Dr. Gibbon), including some photos 1940-1941, 1944-1948, undated 

8 8

Letters to Mary Howe 1908-1911 

9 1

Letters to Mary Howe 1912-1914 

9 2

Letters from Louisa Filliettaz [Gibbon children's governess/nanny?] 1912-1914 

9 3

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (fiance) 1898-1899 

9 4

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (fiance) 1900 

9 5

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (fiance) 1901 January 

9 6

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (fiance) 1901 February-April 

9 7

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (fiance) 1901 June-July 

9 8

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (fiance) 1901 August 

10 1

Congratulatory letters regarding engagement/marriage, newspaper article, and wedding dress receipts 1900-1901 

10 2

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (husband) 1903-1905 

10 3

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (husband) 1906 

10 4

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (husband) 1907 

10 5

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (husband) 1908 June-July 

10 6

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (husband) 1908 August-September 

10 7

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (husband) 1909 

10 8

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (husband) from Paris and London trip 1910 

11 1

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (husband) 1912-1914 

11 2

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (husband) stationed in France 1917 May-July 

11 3

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (husband) stationed in France 1917 August 

11 4

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (husband) stationed in France 1917 September-October 

11 5

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (husband) stationed in France 1917 November-December 

11 6

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (husband) stationed in France 1918 January-February 

11 7

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (husband) stationed in France 1918 March-April 

11 8

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (husband) stationed in France 1918 May 

11 9

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (husband) stationed in France 1918 June 

11 10

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (husband) stationed in France 1918 July 

12 1

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (husband) stationed in France/England, including accounts of Spanish influenza epidemic in Philadelphia 1918 August-September 

12 2

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (husband) stationed in England, including accounts of Spanish influenza epidemic in Philadelphia 1918 October-November 

12 3

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (husband) 1919, 1921, 1925, undated 

12 4

Letters to her children 1912, 1917, 1919 

12 5

Letters to John "Jack" Gibbon, Jr. and Samuel Gibbon (sons) 1923, 1927, 1940 

12 6

Letters to Marjorie Gibbon (daughter) at Dana Hall 1919 

12 7

Letters to Marjorie Gibbon (daughter) at Dana Hall 1920 January-June 

12 8

Letters to Marjorie Gibbon (daughter) 1921, 1923-1924 

12 9

Letters to Marjorie Gibbon Battles (daughter) 1924-1929 

12 10

Letters to Marjorie Gibbon Battles (daughter) 1930-1939, 1944 

13 1

Letters to Robert "Bobs" Gibbon (son) 1924-1925, 1933 

13 2

Mementos from her children, including their letters to Santa Claus 1909-1910, 1913-1914, undated 

13 3

Letters from her children 1910-1911, 1916-1918 

13 4

Thanksgiving letters from her children 1915 

13 5

Birthday letters from her children 1916 

13 6

Letters from John "Jack" Gibbon, Jr. and Samuel "Sammy" Gibbon (sons) while on Pennsylvania trip 1915 

13 7

Letters from John "Jack Gibbon, Jr. (son) 1919-1921 

13 8

Letters from Robert "Bobs" Gibbon (son) 1922-1926 

13 9

Letters from Robert and Samuel Gibbon (sons), also Maly, Dollie, and Libby Gibbon (daughters-in-law) 1932-1935, 1950 

14 1

Letters from Samuel "Sammy" Young Gibbon (son) 1920-1926 

14 2

Letters from Marjorie "Tertia" Battles (grand-daughter) 1936-1936, 1940, 1943, 1945, 1950-1951, 1955-1956 

14 3

Letters from sister Edith Young Knight 1901, 1915 

14 4

Letters from Margaret McFadden Young (mother) 1889-1891 

14 5

Letters from her sisters 1940s, 1951-1952 

14 6

Letters from various correspondents 1900-1906 

14 7

Letters from various correspondents 1908-1916 

14 8

Letters from various correspondents 1917-1919 

15 1

Letters from various, including Anna Young (step-mother) 1920-1929 

15 2

Sympathy letters on the occasion of Samuel B. M. Young (father)'s death 1924 September 

15 3

Letters from various, including some photos 1930-1955 

15 4

Letters from English friends during World War II 1943-1945 

15 5

Letters from various correspondents undated 

15 6

Assorted receipts and memorabilia, including passports and obituary 1879, 1904, 1910, 1919, 1921, 1956 

15 7

Wedding breakfast invitations and golden wedding anniversary gift inventories 1901, 1951 

15 8

Assorted writings and poetry 1915, 1919, 1935 

15 9

Assorted family photographs, including John Gibbon, Jr.'s teeth x-rays 1913, circa 1917, 1923, 1934 

15 10

Letters and telegrams to Robert Gibbon (her son) from various school friends 1924-1925 

15 11
Box

Gibbon/Packard household accounts ledger 1897-1903 

16

Datebook/diary 1906 

16

Datebook/diary 1907 

16

Datebook/diary 1909 

16

[Lynfield farm?] account book 1912-1917 

16

Datebook/diary 1915 

16

Datebook/diary 1919 

16

Datebook/diary 1920 

16

Datebook/diary [some notes by daughter Marjorie Gibbon Battles] 1921 

16

Datebook/diary 1924 

16

Datebook/diary 1928 

16

Datebook/diary 1929 

17

Datebook/diary 1930 

17

Datebook/diary 1932 

17

Datebook/diary 1933 

17

Datebook/diary 1936 

17

Datebook/diary 1937 

17

Datebook/diary 1940 

17

Datebook/diary 1951 

17

Datebook/diary 1952 

17

Datebook/diary 1953 

17

Datebook/diary 1954 

17

Datebook/diary 1955 

17

Datebook/diary 1956 

17

Return to Table of Contents »


 Series III. Marjorie Young Gibbon Battles 1907-1987  (Bulk, 1907-1955)

Series description

Series III. Marjorie Young Gibbon Battles dates from 1907 to 1987, with bulk dates of 1907 to 1955, and contains letters and other material authored by John and Marjorie Gibbon’s only daughter, also named Marjorie after her mother. The largest portion of letters in this series was written by Marjorie to her parents while she was away at boarding school at Dana Hall in Wellesley, Massachusetts. These letters recount her courses of study, friends made, and struggles with home sickness as well as her two week stay in the school’s infirmary during her first term. Additionally, there are a significant number of letters to and from school friends during her time at Dana Hall. Another sizeable portion of letters in this series consists of those sent to and from her younger brothers, John, Samuel, and Robert Gibbon. Included in these folders are some letters sent to her brothers from extended family members and some friends. These letters between the siblings demonstrate their tight-knit family life and close relationships they enjoyed even as adults.

Of particular interest in this series may be Marjorie’s letters to her family while away on several trips to Europe and even one to Korea and Japan, written throughout the 1920s. These letters document her travel itineraries and interesting anecdotes and include a number of postcards and photographs. Also of interest in this series may be the folder of letters from 20-year-old Belgian soldier Georges Delhaye written from 1917 to 1918. These letters recount his living conditions as a soldier in the trenches as well as his hopes and fears for his family who were trapped in German-occupied Belgium. This folder also includes several postcards and photographs. His letters to Marjorie cease in June 1918 and his ultimate fate is unknown.

The rest of the letters in this series are written to Marjorie Gibbon Battles from various friends and extended family members. There are a few folders of printed and handwritten memorabilia that include photographs, a dance card, date books, and numerous party invitations with her notes about her impressions. This series also contains a folder of material pertaining to a biography of Niccolo Machiavelli, including chapter drafts, letters, and notes. There is also a manuscript biography of General John Gibbon called "The Iron Brigade General" written by Dennis Lavery and Mark Jordan that contains numerous margin notes and edits by Marjorie Gibbon Battles.

This series is arranged alphabetically by major correspondent and then chronologically, with several folders of assorted memorabilia and other printed material at the end of the series.

Box Folder

Letters from Winthrop Battles (husband) 1932 

18 1

Letters from Georges Delhaye (Belgian soldier pen pal during World War I), some photos and postcards 1917-1918 

18 2

Letters to John and Marjorie Gibbon (parents) 1908-1911, 1915, 1917, 1919-1920 

18 3

Letters to John and Marjorie Gibbon (parents) while at Dana Hall 1919 September-December 

18 4

Letters to John and Marjorie Gibbon (parents) while at Dana Hall 1920 January-February 

18 5

Letters to John and Marjorie Gibbon (parents) while at Dana Hall 1920 March-April 

18 6

Letters to John and Marjorie Gibbon (parents) while at Dana Hall 1920 May, July 

18 7

Letters to parents from France trip, some from brother John "Jack" Gibbon, Jr. 1921 

18 8

Letters to John, Marjorie, and Robert Gibbon (parents and brother), some from Lillian Young Coxe (aunt) during Europe trip 1922 May-July 

19 1

Letters to John and Marjorie Gibbon (parents) from Japan/Korea trip 1923 January-March 

19 2

Letters to John and Marjorie Gibbon (parents) 1923-1925, 1929-1936, 1940, 1945, 1948, 1950-1952, 1954 

19 3

Letters and postcards to various family members while on honeymoon in France (some written by husband Winthrop Battles), including 2 photos 1924 May-July 

19 4

Letters to and from John "Jack" Gibbon, Jr., including his letters to and from other siblings 1907, 1910-1912, 1914, 1919-1920, 1923, 1927-1930, 1942, undated 

19 5

Letters to and from Robert "Bobs" Gibbon, including his letters to and from other siblings 1909, 1912, 1919-1921, 1923-1925, 1932-1933, undated 

19 6

Letters to and from Samuel Young Gibbon, including his letters to and from other siblings 1915, 1919-1921, 1923-1924, 1933, 1944-1945, undated 

19 7

Letters from Anne MacGregor 1931-1932 

19 8

Letters from "Mary" 1919 

19 9

Letters from various 1909-1910, 1916-1918, 1921, 1930 

19 10

Letters from various correspondants while at Dana Hall, including "get well" notes 1919-1920, undated 

20 1

Letters to various correspondents 1924, 1935, undated 

20 2

Assorted notes and memorabilia, including dance card and 4 photographs 1916, 1920-1921, 1935, undated 

20 3

Assorted social invitations and notes circa 1919-1920 

20 4

Datebook/notebook 1926 

20 5

Datebook/diary 1934-1936 

20 6

Datebook/diary 1936 

20 7

Letters, notes, and chapter drafts for biography of Niccolo Machiavelli 1941-1942 

20 8

Annotated manuscript of Iron Brigade General by Dennis Lavery and Mark Jordan (biography of General John Gibbon) 1987 

20 9

Return to Table of Contents »


 Series IV. General Samuel B. M. Young 1884-1924 

Series description

Series IV. General Samuel B. M. Young dates from 1884 to 1924 and contains letters and other materials authored by Marjorie Young Gibbon’s father and Dr. John Gibbon’s father-in-law, Samuel Baldwin Marks Young. General Young was a Union veteran of the Civil War and United States general during the Spanish-American War. Later in his career he was president of the Army War College, superintendant of Yellowstone National Park, and governor of the Soldiers Home in Washington, D.C. The majority of the letters in this series are written by Young to his daughter Marjorie. A sizeable portion of these letters were written to her and her sister Elizabeth while he was stationed in the Philippine Islands as military governor of Luzon from 1899 to 1901. The letters describe his daily routines and aspects of the American administration of the islands. Included with these are several photographs, postcards, clippings, and hand-drawn maps.

There are also a good number of letters and postcards in this series that date from General Young’s time as superintendant of Yellowstone in 1897 and 1907 to 1908. These contain some details about his daily routine and the administration of the park as well as numerous anecdotes and postcards.

Also of interest in this series is a folder of letters to and from President Theodore Roosevelt, a personal friend of General Young going back to their time in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Most of the letters are quite short and conversational.

This series is arranged alphabetically by major correspondent and then chronologically, with several folders of assorted memorabilia and other printed material at the end of the series.

Box Folder

Letters to Dr. John Gibbon (son-in-law) 1902-1903, 1909, 1915, 1920, undated 

20 10

Letters to Marjorie Young (daughter) 1884, 1889-1891 

20 11

Letters to Marjorie and Elizabeth Young (daughters) while stationed in the Philippines 1899 June-September 

21 1

Letters to Marjorie and Elizabeth Young (daughters) while stationed in the Philippines 1899 October-December 

21 2

Letters to Marjorie and Elizabeth Young (daughters) while stationed in the Philippines, some photos 1900 January-June 

21 3

Letters to Marjorie and Elizabeth Young (daughters) while stationed in the Philippines, some photos 1900 July-1901 February 

21 4

Letters to Marjorie Young Gibbon (daughter) 1901-1903 

21 5

Letters to Marjorie Young Gibbon (daughter), including handkerchief sewn by Marjorie Gibbon (grand-daughter) 1904-1909 

21 6

Letters to Marjorie Young Gibbon (daughter) 1910, 1912, 1915-1918 

21 7

Letters to Marjorie Young Gibbon (daughter) 1919-1924 

22 1

Letters of condolence to Marjorie Young Gibbon and Anna Young, copies of war records 1924, 1934 

22 2

Letters to Marjorie Young Gibbon (daughter) undated 

22 3

Letters and postcards to and from Gibbon grandchildren, also from his wife Anna Young 1907, 1909, 1914-1915, 1920-1922, undated 

22 4

Letters to and from Theodore Roosevelt, including invitation to White House 1897, 1899, 1902, 1916, 1918 

22 5

Letters to various correspondents and assorted clippings 1903, 1905, 1916, 1919, undated 

22 6

Letters from various correspondents, including John Pershing and Henry Cabot Lodge 1877, 1900-1904, 1909, 1915-1917 

22 7

Return to Table of Contents »


 Series V. Catherine Lardner Gibbon 1784-1900  (Bulk, 1808-1870)

Series description

Series V. Catherine Lardner Gibbon dates from 1808 to 1900, with bulk dates of 1808 to 1870, and contains letters and other handwritten materials authored by Dr. John Gibbon’s paternal grandmother, Catherine Lardner Gibbon. The majority of the letters in this series were written by Catherine living in Charlotte, North Carolina to her unmarried sister, Frances Lardner, who was still living at the Lardner family home in Philadelphia. Several of these letters contain detailed pencil drawings in the margins, presumably drawn by Catherine herself. The letters in this series dating from 1860 to 1865 are significant for documenting the sisters’ experiences during the Civil War.

Another significant portion of this series consists of letters authored by Frances Lardner and sent to her numerous Gibbon nieces and nephews, including General John Gibbon and Catherine Gibbon, who worked at the United States Mint in Philadelphia.

This series is arranged alphabetically by major correspondent and then chronologically, with several folders of assorted memorabilia and other handwritten material at the end of the series.

Box Folder

Letters to and from Frances Lardner (sister), Hannah Lardner (aunt), Mary Donnell, and others 1814-1820, 1828 

22 8

Letters to Frances Larnder (sister), including sketches and account of death of youngest child 1838-1845 

22 9

Letters to Frances Lardner (sister) 1846-1849 

22 10

Letters to Frances Lardner (sister) 1850-1851 

22 11

Letters to Frances Lardner (sister) 1853-1856 

22 12

Letters to Frances Lardner (sister) 1858-1859 

23 1

Letters to Frances Lardner (sister) and John Gibbon (son) 1860-1862 

23 2

Letters to and from Frances Lardner (sister) and other family members 1864, 1866-1874 

23 3

Letters from Lynford Lardner (brother) 1849, 1851 

23 4

Letters from Ann [Shepard Pettigrew?] (cousin) and other relatives while still unmarried circa 1810s 

23 5

Commonplace book and poetry by Catherine Lardner Gibbon [?] 1816, 1859, undated 

23 6

Letters from Frances North Moale Gibbon to husband John Gibbon circa 1860s 

23 7

Letters to and from various Gibbon siblings, including General John "Jack" Gibbon 1882, 1884-1885, 1894, 1900 

23 8

Letters to Frances Lardner from Ann Shepard Pettigrew and others, including the will of William Lardner 1811-1815, 1817, 1823-1828 

23 9

Letters to, from, and regarding Frances Lardner written by various relatives 1831, 1844, 1855, 1857, 1868, 1875-1876, 1881, 1884 

23 10

Letters to Frances Lardner from various correspondents undated 

23 11

Assorted poetry inscribed to Frances Lardner, especially from Ellis Lewis 1815, undated 

23 12

Letters to and from various Lardner siblings 1808, 1827, 1846 

23 13

Letters from Frances Lardner and Lardner Gibbon to Miss Catherine Gibbon and Robert Gibbon 1876-1877, 1882-1883 

23 14

Assorted letters, including C. Lardner to Mary "Polly" Penn and copy of J.K. Barnes' account of Jefferson Davis to Edward Stanton 1784, 1788, 1824, 1866, 1879 

22 15

Return to Table of Contents »


 Series VI. Miscellaneous 1863-1939 

Series description

Series VI. Miscellaneous dates from 1863 to 1939 and contains unlabeled materials and those which do not readily fit into the other series of the collection. These materials include a collection of stamps from the United States and other countries, assorted clippings, blank postcards, and several photographs of unidentified subjects. The series is arranged chronologically.

Box Folder

Assorted postage stamps, United States and territories and other countries 1863, 1910-1914, undated 

23 16

Assorted clippings 1889, circa 1917, 1935, undated 

23 17

Assorted blank postcards 1900, 1916, undated 

23 18

Assorted letters and postcards to unknown correspondents 1921, 1926, undated 

23 19

Assorted notes, cards, and printed material 1923, 1939, undated 

23 20

Unidentified photographs undated 

23 21

Return to Table of Contents »