00/00/1840 - Born, Danville, Pittsylvania Co., VA [Father: James Richard "Jack" Lipscomb (1818-1864); Mother: Sarah Ann "Sallie" Motley (1819-1891)]
11/12/1850 - Lived with parents and sibs, Danville, Pittsylvania Co., VA (indexed in the 1850 U. S. Census as John P. Lipscombe)
03/08/1860 - M.D. degree, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, VA (from: VA)
08/31/1860 - This man could not be located in the 1860 U. S. Census. He is not listed with his parents and sibs who lived in Danville, Pittsylvania Co., VA. [Note: It is possible that he was working at the Eastern Lunatic Asylum in Williamsburg, VA.]
05/01/1862-08/25/1862 - Sgt., Capt. B. H. Motley's Light Artillery [VA] (paid $17/mo.)
07/15/1862-10/23/1862 - On detail as Hospital Steward at 25 cents extra pay per day
09/23/1862 - When Motley's Light Artillery disbanded, enlisted, as Pvt., Capt. Dance's Co.,1st VA Artillery, Darkesville, Berkeley Co., VA
09/30/1862 - Pvt., Capt. Dance's Co., (Powhatan Artillery), Richmond, VA
12/08/1862 - Enlisted as Pvt., Co. C, 10th VA Cavalry, Port Royal, VA
03/26/1863 - Nominated as Asst. Surgeon, Confederate States Navy [Note: Listed in the
Journal of the Congress of the Confederate States of America as being from North Carolina. This is an error.]
03/28/1863 - Pvt., Co. C, 10th VA Cavalry
04/07/1863 - Appointed Asst. Surgeon, Confederate States Navy
04/07/1863 - On leaving the 10th VA Cavalry for the Confederate States Navy, a
"Descriptive List" was prepared and included the following description - rank: Private; age: 22; eyes: blue; hair: red; complexion: light; height: 5 ft. 8 in.; state: Virginia; town: Danville
1863-1864 - Asst. Surgeon, Charleston Squadron, SC
03/26/1863 - Entry date into the Confederate States Navy
04/20/1863 - As Asst. Surgeon, C. S. Navy, Danville, VA, prepared the following Certificate of Disability, "This is to certify that I have carefully examined Jno. F. Hobson, 2nd Lieut. of Co. (C) 5th Va. Cavalry, C. S. A., and find him laboring under an attack of gravel and chronic enlargement of the Prostate gland, which in my opinion incapacitates and unfits him for military duty. And I hereby further certify that in my opinion, the disease under which said Hobson is laboring is incurable, while he continues in the Cavalry service. Very Respectfully, John P. Lipscomb, Asst. Surgeon, C. S. Navy."
05/01/1863 - Asst. Surgeon, Confederate States Navy
06/02/1864 - Asst. Surgeon, Provisional Navy of the Confederate States
1864 - Asst. Surgeon, C.S.S. Palmetto State
08/23/1864 - Father, James, died in Danville, VA (buried: Grove Street Cemetery, Danville, VA; FindAGrave #19536703)
1865 - Asst. Surgeon, C.S.S. Fredericksburg, James River Squadron
1865 - Asst. Surgeon, C.S.S. Hampton, James River Squadron
1865 - Asst. Surgeon, C.S.S. Fredericksburg
1865 - Member, Semmes Naval Brigade [Note: Near the end of the war, Raphael Semmes, the former Confederate Admiral, organized former Confederate States Navy crews and Marines to form the land based Semmes Naval Brigade which fought alongside the Army of Northern Virginia.]
04/28/1865 - Paroled by the U. S. Army, Greensboro, NC
1874 - Practiced medicine, Burgess Store, Northumberland Co., VA
1878 - Lived, Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH
10/01/1878 - Married, Letitia Dean "Lettie" Edmunds (1855-1915) of Halifax Co., VA, at
the residence of Capt. Daniel Coleman, Danville, VA
06/04/1880 - Grocer, Danville, Pittsylvania Co., VA (lived with wife, Lettie, and one
daughter, Mary; indexed in the 1880 U. S. Census as John Lipscomb)
07/07/1880 - Investor in real estate, Danville, VA
04/25/1882 - Shot and killed in self-defense by his father-in-law, Mr. Sterling E. Edmunds, Danville, VA (buried: Green Hill Cemetery, Danville, VA; FindAGrave #14351121) ["Danville, VA, April 25 - The people of Danville were startled this morning by the report that Dr. John P. Lipscomb had been killed by his father-in-law, Mr. Sterling E. Edmunds, of Halifax County. A number of persons rushed to the house in Wilson Street, occupied by Dr. Lipscomb and his wife, and found that the report was true. When they arrived, the dead man had been removed from the dining room, where he was killed, and was laid out upon a bed in his chamber, which was filled with sympathizing friends of both men. The fatal ball entered one side of his breast and passed clear through his body. Mr. Edmunds made no effort to escape, but frankly confessed that he had killed Dr. Lipscomb and invited an investigation of the cause that led to the deed. The case was tried before the Mayor, when the following facts were elicited: This morning, Dr. Lipscomb and his wife were sitting at the breakfast table, when Mr. Edmunds came in, saying 'Good morning' to both his daughter and her husband. Dr. Lipscomb immediately made some disparaging remark with regard to his wife. Mr. Edmunds remarked, 'Your treatment to your wife last night was outrageous.' As soon as that was spoken, Dr. Lipscomb drew his pistol and fired. Mr. Edmunds drew
his and fired. Mrs. Lipscomb then took the pistol from her husband's hands and asked her father to shoot no more. Mr. Edmunds then retired into the passage. Dr. Lipscomb fell speechless. His shot had missed, but Mr. Edmund's had taken effect. He fell in the arms of his wife and breathed his last with his head in her lap. Mr. Edmunds was acquitted, and the general voice of the people is that it was justifiable homicide. Mrs.
Lipscomb's name is Lettia, and as stated above, she is the daughter of Mr. Sterling E. Edmunds. She is also the grand-daughter of the late Col. Claiborne, of this place. Dr. Lipscomb's was the son of the late James R. Lipscomb, a highly respected citizen. They had been married only a few years and had two children. The families on both sides have the universal sympathy of the people of this community." Source: The New York Times, New York, NY, April 29, 1882. Another newspaper added, "Dr. Lipscomb was a man of wealth and of an excellent family, but became intemperate and the couple have been living unhappily. (The night before the shooting) he drove Mrs. Lipscomb from home, but she afterwards went over with one of her neighbors and gained admittance while the family were at breakfast. When Edmunds walked in, and after some words said, 'You have been treating my daughter badly, and treated her badly last night.' With that, Dr. Lipscomb arose, and pistols were drawn. Dr. Lipscomb fired first, and Edmunds fired immediately afterward, and the doctor fell dead, holding his pistol in his hand, cocked for a second shot." Source: Knoxville Chronicle, Knoxville, TN, Apr. 27, 1882, p. 1, c. 6.]
07/03/1883 - Widow married William W. Brown, Danville, VA
06/14/1891 - Mother, Sarah, died at her son's residence, Danville, VA [obituary: Richmond Dispatch, Richmond, VA, June 16, 1891, p. 5, c. 2.]
07/10/1915 - Widow, Letitia Dean "Lettie" Edmunds Lipscomb Brown, died in Norwood,
Hamilton Co., OH (buried: Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Cemetery, Pleasant Ridge, Hamilton Co., OH; FindAGrave #186903200)

Scott Hutchison and Terry Foenander provided input to this biography.

This biographical sketch is from:
Hambrecht, F. T. & Koste, J. L., Biographical
register of physicians who served the
Confederacy in a medical capacity.
06/22/2021. Unpublished database.