Biography of 	Aiken, John Gayle, M.D., Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by 	Mike Miller January 1998

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Aiken, John Gayle, M. D., of New Orleans, was born Oct. 16, 1859, at
Charleston, S. C., son of Col. Hugh Kerr Aiken, native of Winnsboro, S. C.,
and Mary R. Gayle Aiken, of Alabama.  By birth and family connections, Dr.
Aiken is related to the most distinguished people in the Southern states. 
Gov. William Aiken, of South Carolina, was grand-uncle of Dr. Aiken, and had
the distinction of having been one of the first 10 millionaires in the
Southern states.  The town of Aiken, S. C., was named for Gov. Aiken 's
father, who was killed on that spot by a frightened horse.  John Gayle,
maternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was twice honored by the
people of Alabama as governor of the state, and twice as judge of the supreme
court.  A tablet has been erected to his memory in the court-house in Mobile. 
Gov. Gayle's daughter, Amelia, was the wife of Gen. Josiah Gorgas, chief of
ordnance in the Confederate States army.  His son, Dr. William C. Gorgas, now
surgeon-general of U. S., has won international reputation through his eminent
services in matters of public sanitation and hygiene, notably his having rid
Havana, Cuba, of yellow fever for the first time in 150 years, and as chief
sanitary officer of the Canal zone, and in having been consulted by the state
of Ecuador, South America, on the sanitary condition of that country, making a
visit there at the special request of the government of that state.  On
several occasions, Dr. Gorgas represented the United States at European
conventions of physicians.  Col. Hugh Kerr Aiken, father of Dr. John Gayle
Aiken, was born in Winnsboro, S. C., July 5, 1822, son of David and Nancy
Aiken, whose family consisted of 7 sons and 2 daughters.  Hugh Kerr Aiken was
reared on the old plantation of his parents and received his education at
Mount Zion academy and South Carolina college.  He engaged in planting, and
after a few years moved to Charleston, S. C., where he was living when the
Civil war broke out.  From early youth, he was fond of military life, and in
1850 was elected brigadier-general, and afterwards was chosen successor to P.
H. Nelson, major-general of South Carolina state troops.  His sword, presented
on that occasion by Gen. Nelson, is among the most cherished relics in the
keeping of his son, Dr. Aiken.  As soon as South Carolina seceded from the
Union, Col. Aiken entered the Confederate army, and served on the coast until
elected colonel of the Sixth South Carolina cavalry.  The regiment was ordered
to Virginia as part of Gen. M. C. Butler's brigade, and at the battle of
Trevillian Station, Col. Aiken distinguished himself.  That engagement took
place June 11, 1864.  The colonel's regiment lost a great number of men, and
he, while leading a charge, was desperately wounded, being shot through the
body, and the bullet grazing one of his lungs.  He was taken by the enemy and
placed in an ambulance, but was rescued by his soldiers and carried to the
house of Mr. Hunter, near Louisa court-house.  He was brought home by his wife
and after recovering from his wound, was offered a position of partial
retirement in one of the departments at Richmond but he preferred rejoining
his regiment in the field, on the Petersburg lines.  Here he daily witnessed
sorties, desperate fighting, and thunderous bombardments.  He saw General Wade
Hampton's son shot and unhorsed and killed while dashing across the field. 
Col. Aiken was put in command of Butler's brigade, consisting of the 4th, 5th
and 6th South Carolina cavalry when it was transferred to the Carolinas to
meet Sherman's advance.  Feb. 27, 1865, he was ordered by General Butler to
proceed with his troops, down the east bank of Lynch creek, to ascertain if
any of the Federal army had crossed into Darlington, and while in the
performance of that duty, received a mortal wound, and expired in the arms of
his nephew and courier, William Cloud Aiken.  His brother, Col. D. Wyatt
Aiken, came out of the war with a fine record, and subsequently represented
his state in Congress for several terms.  A younger brother, A. M. Aiken, was
a private soldier.  Col. Hugh K. Aiken was married Dec. 15, 1852, to Mary,
third daughter of Gov. John Gayle, of Alabama.  Their surviving child is Dr.
John Gayle Aiken, of New Orleans.  Dr. Aiken received his education at Sewanee
university, in Tennessee, graduating in 1881.  After a residence of a few
years in Mobile, Ala., where he was engaged in the service of the Mobile &
Ohio R. R., Dr. Aiken came to New Orleans and entered Tulane university, from
which he graduated in 1891; next going to Hahnemann Homeopathic college,
Chicago, where he graduated in 1892.  Returning to New Orleans, he began the
practice of medicine in partnership with his father-in-law, Dr. William H.
Holcombe, and continued with him until Dr. Holcombe's death in 1893, and
practiced alone since, residing in the home which Dr. Holcombe had occupied
for many years, and which he purchased after Dr. Holcombe's death.  Dr.
William H. Holcombe was born at Lynchburg, Va., May 29, 1825, of an old
Virginia family; his grandfather having served in the Continental army, and
his father was a distinguished physician of the old school.  Dr. William H.
Holcombe was sent to the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1847.  He
removed to Cincinnati, and was there during a siege of Asiatic cholera, which
caused him to become interested in homeopathy.  The great success he met with
in his experiments induced him to devote himself to the new school of
medicine, and he became one of its most talented disciples.  Dr. Holcombe went
to Natchez, Miss., in 1852, and he and his partner, Dr. Davis, were appointed
physicians and surgeons to the Mississippi State hospital.  In 1864 Dr.
Holcombe removed to New Orleans, where he made his home until his death, Nov.
28, 1893.  He was chairman of the Yellow Fever commission in 1878, and
published an excellent report of the work done during the epidemic of that
year.  For many years he was one of the editors of the North American Journal
of Homeopathy, and president of the American Institute of Homeopathy in 1876. 
He was the author of several books and treatises, publishing, in 1852, "The
Scientific Basis of Homeopathy," and, in 1856, "Yellow Fever, and its
Homeopathie Treatment."  Dr. Holcombe also wrote 2 volumes of poetry, and 8
religious works, embodying the doctrines of Swedenborg.  His last literary
composition, "The Truth About Homeopathy," was completed a few days before his
death.  Dr. Holcombe was a man of lofty and noble nature, and of tenderest
charity, a true philanthropist, who won the respect and devotion of all who
knew him.  He married in 1852, Miss Rebecca Palmer, of Cincinnati.  There were
4 children; 3 died in infancy, the survivor being Mrs. John Gayle Aiken.  In
religion, Dr. Aiken belongs to the Episcopal faith, being a member of the
Christ Episcopal church congregation since his 11th year; and in politics he
is a Democrat, never actively taking part in public affairs, but always
exercising the right of suffrage.  He cast his first vote for Tilden, the
Democratic candidate for president of the United States, in 1880.  In 1882,
Dr. Aiken married Miss Ada Holcombe, daughter of Dr. W. H. and Rebecca
(Palmer) Holcombe, of New Orleans.  His family consisted of 7 children, 1 of
whom, Hugo Kerr Aiken, died in 1909.  The children now living are: William
Holcombe Aiken, medical student in Tulane university; John Gayle Aiken, in
mercantile business; Warwick Aiken, in the cotton business; Ralph P. Aiken,
who has contributed to magazines and newspapers; Charles B. Aiken, at school;
and Edith Aiken, a teacher in the kindergarten for the poor children of the
city of New Orleans.  Hugh Kerr Aiken, second son of Dr. Aiken, a young man of
much promise, graduate of Annapolis naval academy, was killed while in
performance of duty as a naval officer, July 11, 1909, on the United States
steamship, North Carolina, while at Naples, Italy.  On the occasion of Pres.
Taft 's visit to New Orleans, he referred to Lieut. Aiken in the following
words:  "But as I stand in the presence of a New Orleans audience, as I stand
in an academic atmosphere, I cannot refrain from allusion to the heroic death
recently met by a young, bright, able man of your community, Lieut. Aiken of
the navy.  He saw his dangerous duty, and, with his men under him, thoughtful
of their safety, he led them into the place of danger, fell and was overcome,
and the only thought he had as he was about to meet his death was, as he asked
his commanding officer:  'Have I made good?'  It is such standards of living
and of dying that I think are inculcated not only at West Point and at
Annapolis, but in all academic institutions, of which this Tulane is one of
the best examples.  And I am glad, in the presence of his neighbors--the
neighbors of his father and of his mother, as commander-in-chief of the navy,
to pay this tribute to his memory.''  The following beautiful tribute to this
young officer was published:  "There are sorrows of such wide significance,
that when they come into our midst, the minor chords are struck as by a master
musician, and the penetrating pathos of the notes find response in every
heart.  We would not draw aside the veil to whom the right belongs to mourn,
but we, too, who stand without, are dim-visioned from the mists of sympathy. 
We, too, would add a wreath of laurel to the wreaths already there--the 'honor
wreaths' for the 'gallant officer and gentleman,' who walked in honor's path,
and in his youth, ere life's sun had reached meridional glow, saluted, at last
command--received his passport to eternity--and entered into new fields of
action, 'where winged souls fly beyond all change, in the eternal distance to
perfected life.'  For him, 'all's well.'  For those who mourn, 'all's well,'
for his life, like a broken column, gleams in unsullied whiteness, unmarred by
stains of sin, or rude chisel of dishonor.  The honors of country and foreign
power have been paid him.  The flag at half-mast--the wreath of honor--the
pall of the flowers, bedewed by sweet affection.  And from the bugle's
silver-throat, the long, last, farewell note-the call to rest-for 'all's
well'-when 'He giveth His Beloved sleep.'  A wreath of laurel, to the memory,
of Ensign Hugh K. Aiken, U. S. N., 'gallant officer and gentleman', who died
in his youth."  The classmates of Lieut. Aiken have placed a tablet to his
memory at Annapolis Naval academy, upon which is inscribed:  "In memory of
Ensign Hugh Kerr Aiken, U. S. N., who was killed in the performance of duty on
board the United States cruiser, North Carolina, in the Bay of Naples, July
11, 1909.  'And so this man died, leaving his death an example of courage, his
life a memorial of virtue.'  Erected by his class mates of 1906."

Source:  Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events,
Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 22-25. 
Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, by Century Historical
Association.

Note:  A photograph of Dr. John Gayle Aiken's father, Hugh Kerr Aiken, is
included in the original biography.