Newsom Gibson was a red head!

Dear Grandfather and Grandmother Gibson,
Last week I had the opportunity to visit the National Archives in Washington, D.C. and look at your service record from the Cherokee War and Grandmother Gibson's pension application contents. When I last wrote you, I explained that I have been searching for the names of your parents and your wife's parents for years. Though I did not find the exact answers, there were some clues in the pension file.

On "Indian War Pensions Act of July 27, 1892" Declaration of widow for Pension, Grandmother Gibson lists her birthplace as Rutherford County, Tennessee not Davidson County. That will be a new place for me to research. With the maiden name of Elizabeth Jane Jones, it has been a challenge to determine which of the Jones' were your parents.

Newsom Gibson from family Bible of his granddaughter
Mary Elizabeth Hugunin Colby in the possession of
her great granddaughter Leslie Cone

Your descendants were especially excited to read the physical description of Grandfather Gibson. Each of the three depositions in the pension file described Newsom Gibson as being of fair complexion, having brown eyes, being between 5'7" and 5'9" in height about 145 pounds, and having red or auburn hair. I think the photograph below, shows you why we were especially excited to discover you were a red head.

These red-heads are your 3rd great grandchildren Charles "Rusty" and sister Trude Cone.
They are enjoying ice cream near where Trude lives in Amsterdam, Holland.



We had previously known that our paternal grandmother and her father were red heads. Our mother's maternal grandfather and two of his daughters were also red heads. Now we know there was red hair in the Gibson line also.

It was wonderful to learn more about you both and the search for your parents continues.

Love,
Cecily

P. S. For family members; Newsom and Elizabeth Jones Gibson's daughter Sarah Amanda Gibson married Van Epps Hugunin, their daughter Mary Elizabeth Hugunin married William Wallace Colby, their daughter Ada Grace Colby married Cecil Oscar Werst, their daughter Betty Lorraine Werst married Charles Newton Cone, Jr, I am their child.