[2] In 1862, he was elected as Governor of Oregon; his term began on September 10, 1862, thus he served during the American Civil War.

[3] In 1864, responding to orders from the United States Congress, Gibbs raised an infantry regiment despite opposition from Oregonians.

[3] After his term as governor, Gibbs was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate in 1866 to replace James W. Nesmith with Henry W. Corbett as the selection of the Oregon Legislature.

He then returned to private practice in Portland at what is now Miller Nash Graham & Dunn LLP.

[2] His remains were returned from England by an act of the Oregon Legislature and he was interred at the River View Cemetery in Portland in 1887.