BIO: Charles McClure, Cumberland County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Bookwalter Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/ ______________________________________________________________________ History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania. Containing History of the Counties, Their Townships, Towns, Villages, Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc.; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; Biographies; History of Pennsylvania; Statistical and Miscellaneous Matter, Etc., Etc. Illustrated. Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co., 1886. http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/beers/beers.htm ______________________________________________________________________ PART II. HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA. CHAPTER XXXVIII. BOROUGH OF CARLISLE. 384 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. HON. CHARLES McCLURE (deceased) was a native of Cumberland County. His father, Charles McClure, was born in Cumberland County, 1739, and was the son of John McClure, of Scotland, who died in Cumberland County October 9, 1757, aged sixty-one years. Charles McClure, the father, married Miss Mary Blair, who died without issue. He subsequently married Emelia Blair, cousin of his first wife, and by her had two children: John, a farmer and literary man, and Mary, who became the wife of Joseph Knox, a merchant of Carlisle. One daughter of John is now the widow of J. F. D. Lanier, who was a wealthy banker of New York City. Of Mary's children two are now living: George, an attorney of Philadelphia, and Rebecca Steele, wife of a prominent lawyer of Chicago. Charles McClure, Sr., was the third time married, his last wife being Mrs. Rebecca Parker, widow of Gen. Parker, of the war of 1812, the result of which union was two sons and two daughters: Charlotte, who married Dr. Adam Hays, of Carlisle; Rebecca, who married Elisha White, an attorney of Carlisle; Judge William McClure, of Pittsburgh, who married Miss Lydia Collins, and Charles McClure, the subject of this sketch. The latter was graduated from Dickinson College; read law in Carlisle, and was there admitted to the bar. He was elected a Representative to the State Legislature in 1834, and subsequently served two terms in congress. His death occurred in 1846, at the age of forty-two years. His wife was Miss Margaretta Gibson, daughter of Chief Justice John Bannister Gibson, one of the most prominent and learned men of the State; born in Perry County, Penn., a son of Col. George and Ann (West) Gibson; she an intelligent and highly-educated lady for her time, a daughter of Francis West, the first magistrate of Cumberland County. Col. George Gibson was a native of Lancaster County, commanded a regiment through the Revolutionary war, and was killed at St. Clair's defeat, November 4, 1791. He was a great linguist and possessed much wit; was a splendid officer, and beloved by everyone for his jovial nature. His brother John, also an officer in the Revolution, was familiar with the customs of the Indians and their language, and it was he who translated and published the famous speech of the Indian chief Logan. Col. George Gibson and wife had four sons: Francis West, a farmer, who lived to be ninety years old; George, a commissary-general of the United States Army, who organized the commissary department of the army, for which purpose he was sent to Washington. He was the intimate friend and adviser of Andrew Jackson while President of the United States, with whom he had served, as his quartermaster-general, in the war of 1812, and by whom he was called "honest George Gibson." Gen. Gibson was a very generous warm-hearted gentleman, always remained a bachelor, and died in his eighty-seventh year, at Washington in 1861, in full possession of all his faculties. William, who died young, from yellow fever contracted in the West Indies; and Chief Justice John Banister Gibson. The latter was a young child when his father died, and the mother being left in straitened circumstances, though possessing a farm in Perry County, inherited from her father, managed to keep her sons together and instructed them herself, to which training the Chief Justice said he was indebted for all that he was. Subsequently the mother moved to Carlisle, where John's education was furthered at Dickinson College through the efforts of his elder brother George. John read law with Judge Thomas Duncan, of Carlisle, who became one of the judges of the su- 385 BOROUGH OF CARLISLE. preme court of the State; and was admitted to the bar in Cumberland County; was later appointed one of the judges of the Supreme Court of the State, and served on the bench with his preceptor. At the death of Chief Justice Tighlman, of Philadelphia, Judge Gibson was appointed to the position. President Jackson desired to appoint him to the supreme bench of the United States, and promised him the first vacancy; but owing to great political claims of Judge Baldwin, Chief Justice Gibson yielded to his appointment. The wife of Chief Justice Gibson was Miss Sarah Galbraith, of Cumberland County, and a daughter of Maj. Andrew Galbraith, an officer in the Revolutionary war, who was made a prisoner by the British. Chief Justice Gibson and wife had eight children, five of whom lived to be men and women: Mrs. McClure, widow of Charles McClure; Mrs. Roberts, wife of William Milnor Roberts, a distinguished civil-engineer, who died in Brazil, while acting as chief of the engineering works of Brazil; Sarah, wife of Capt. Richard H. Anderson, of the Untied States Army, of Charleston, S. C., afterward lieutenant- general in the Confederate Army; Col. George; and John Bannister, the latter a lieutenant in the United States Army, died from disease contracted in the Mexican war. Of these, George Gibson, colonel of the Fifth Infantry, United States Army, now stationed at Fort Keogh, M. T., and Mrs. Charles McClure are living. Our subject's widow has three sons: Charles, brevet-colonel, who served in the Union Army, during the war of the Rebellion, as captain, and until 1880 in the Regular Army, when he was appointed paymaster, with the rank of major, in the United States Army (married Miss Annie, daughter of Gen. George and Elizabeth (Graham) Getty; George Gibson, paymaster's clerk in the United States Army (he was for sixteen years in the Third National Bank of New York City); and William McClure, a banker and broker, New York City (married Miss Ella, daughter of Theo. Crane, a deceased merchant of New York City). Our subject was, and his widow now is, identified with the Episcopal Church.