Born on a farm around 12 miles south of Springfield in present-day Christian County, Missouri, John Anderson Gideon was a farmer when the Civil War began. Early in the war, Gideon joined a Greene County Home Guard unit and then in 1862 enlisted as first sergeant in Company C, the 72d Enrolled Missouri Militia. Gideon was captured on January 8, 1863, during the Battle of Springfield but was paroled the next day. When the 72d EMM was incorpo-rated into the 6th Provisional Enrolled Missouri Militia, Gideon was promoted to second lieutenant in Company H in February 1863. On November 1, 1863, 16th Missouri Cavalry was organized from the 6th EMM, and Gideon remained second lieutenant of Company H. Gideon mustered out of service on July 1,1865. After the war, Gideon returned to Springfield and worked at Holland’s wholesale dry goods store for a year. In 1868, Gideon was elected judge of Christian County.
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Bethwriter7, “Lieut John Anderson Gideon.” Find A Grave, May 5, 2011. Link.
Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, 1311, 1325, 1339.
Western Historical Company. History of Greene County, Missouri., 460.