Gideon E. Blackburn
History of Montana, 1898
US Genweb Montana Archives

Dr. Gideon E. Blackburn of the firm of Haviland and Blackburn, 
homeopathic physicians of Butte City, is a native of Kentucky, 
born in Woodford county, October 22, 1839 of English and Scotch 
ancestry, settlers of Virginia in the Colonial days and 
participants in the early history of the country.  The Doctor's 
great grandfather was a soldier in the Revolution and his 
grandfather Gideon Blackburg, was a native of Virginia. a 
Presbyterian minister of the New School and the founder of 
the Blackburn College at Carlinville Illinois.  The Doctor's 
father, Andrew Blackburn, was born in Kentucky in 1821, 
married Margaret Hoxey, was a capitalist and banker in 
Jerseyville, Illinois and a stockholder in various other 
banking institutions.  He died in the fifty first year of his 
age and his wife now resides at Evanston, Illinois in her 
seventy-fifth year.

Their eldest child, the subject of this sketch, was educated 
at Yale College and nearly finished his course when the great 
Civil War began and he enlisted in Company F, Fourteenth 
Volunteer Infantry.  Being under General Grant, they fought 
at Shiloh, Ft. Donelson, Corinth and other engagements.  
At one time the bursting of a shell fractured his skull; 
at another he was shot in the armpit, at another a ball 
just grazed his hand and in the course of service his hat 
received several shots.

On one occasion on a foraging expedition he was captured by 
guerrillas, tied with buckskin thongs, between two of his 
captors, and while in a room with them and thirteen others, 
and while they slept, he succeeded in escaping, slipping his 
hand from the thongs and cutting the strings with a knife he 
took from one of the sleepers.  Springing from the window, 
he attracted the attention of a bulldog, which he seized by 
the throat and swung on his back and ran for life. It was 
moonlight and as soon as he was concealed by the trees he 
dispatched the dog with the knife and continued his flight.  
After going some distance he heard a colored teamster coming 
along singing and with a pine knot extemporized as a pistol, 
halted him and made him haul him with all haste to the nearest 
town where he, Mr. Blackburn had a friend whom he could 
trust.  When they appeared in the town, Mr. Blackburn 
tied the black man to the wagon with his hands and feet 
stretched out, and left him.  The friend took Mr. Blackburn 
on his way to the Union lines.  

On another occasion, while on detached service and he was 
riding a thoroughbred mare, he was confronted by thirty-five 
men across the road, who ordered him to halt, with the epithet 
they usually applied to Yankees.  As he hauled in his horse in 
front of them he drew his pistol and shot two of them and with 
a rapid swinging blow sank the ham of the pistol into the brain 
of the third.  Giving then his mare the rein and stopping low 
on her neck she flew to the Union lines.  A volley was fired 
after him and several charges of buckshot hit him in the hips.  
He did not realize at the time that he was shot, but when he 
reached camp he fainted and it was found that thirty-two 
buckshot had entered his body and not a shot had hit the 
mare.  A squad was at once sent after his assailants, and 
they proved to be a part of a Mississippi regiment.  The 
boys killed four men and three were crippled.  

After he recovered from this severe shock he still continued 
in the service and was promoted five times; but late in his 
service he became seriously ill with camp diarrhea and was 
greatly reduced in flesh and he resigned.  He had risen from 
the ranks to the position of Lt. Colonel having rendered his 
country efficient service.

He had read medicine to some extent, expecting to enter the 
medical profession, and he was thus enabled to make himself 
especially useful in aiding the army surgeons in amputations 
and other surgical operations.  On reaching his home he was 
supposed to be so far reduced that he could not recover, but 
rest and care at home had a beneficial effect and he fully 
recovered.

In 1860 he went to Pine Bluff Arkansas and engaged in 
merchandising and afterward continued the same business at 
Camden. Next he moved to Little Rock where he associated 
himself with Dr. W.E. Green now a prominent surgeon.  They 
went to the Pulte Medical College together and graduated in 
1871, Dr. Blackburn being the valedictorian of his class.  
After graduating he went to Shreveport Louisiana and 
practiced there for a time, then at Galveston Texas, 
Evanston, Wyoming and finally in 1891 Butte City.  
Dr. Haviland had been here a year and they formed a 
partnership for general practice, Dr. Blackburn making 
a specialty of surgery.  In 1892 they opened the 
Haviland and Blackburn Hospital on the corner of 
Broadway and Washington Street.  In this institution 
are twenty beds, vapor baths and all the modern 
appliances for the treatment and comfort of the sick.  
The physicians have two sets of rooms fitted for their 
offices in the Owsley Block and they have a large 
patronage. Their hospital is the only one of this 
school in Montana.

In 1871 Dr. Blackburn married and by that marriage had 
three children: Daisy Ida, Charles A. and Flora Emma.  
His second marriage occurred on the 27th day of January 
1893 wedding Miss Hannah Aiton, a native of Minnesota.  
They reside at the hospital.

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