Bios: William Stibgen, 1840-1917: Lancaster County File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Sean Drury. uclagmu@aol.com USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. William Stibgen, 1840-1917 William Stibgen was born in West Hempfield Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania on April 22, 1840. His father was a carpenter and farmer named Abraham Kauffman Stibgen and his mother, Sophia, would die on Christmas Eve of that year for "reasons unknown." William was brought up at first by his father and older siblings, Abraham Stephen (born November 4, 1828), Christian (born 1831), John (born 1833), Henry (born 1835), and Maria (born 1837). Much of his early childhood was without a mother, but his father soon remarried the widow Rusing (and had another son by her, Simon, in 1847). Mrs. Rusing Stibgen soon died, however, leaving the farming responsibilities to Abraham Stephen, as the elder Abraham was becoming too old to continue with his carpentry practice, and died on January 31, 1855. Son Abraham took care of the younger members of the family throughout the rest of the 1850's as the older children married and moved away. But in April of 1861, when the call went out for volunteers to help suppress the southern rebellion, William was one of the first men in the County to enlist. At his enlistment, he was described as 5 feet, 9 inches tall, with dark hair and dark complexion. He was assigned to the 10th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company A at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg. His enlistment would be a mere 3 months as many believed the rebellion would be crushed swiftly and decisively within the year. His unit was sent to Camp Slifer, Chambersburg, where the men, most of whom had grown up on farms, had to get used to small military rations. The local citizenry helped out in feeding these starving men as they trained. Apparently, the conditions at this camp were such that William would complain years later that it was the cause of many of his ailments. The unit was sent to Harpers Ferry, after joining the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Division. At Harpers Ferry, troops under General Johnston, CSA destroyed the bridges and prevented their arrival. They remained in Maryland at a college town called Williamsport. Across the river, in Martinsburg, there was considerable rebel activity that could be seen easily from the Maryland side of the river. The howitzers were fired from the Maryland side at a building that turned out to be the mess hall for the troops and the troops left their dishes and scattered into town. After this incident, the troops were ordered to seize Martinsburg and did so very easily. The 10th was then ordered to remain in the valley of Winchester to keep rebel troops there from joining the troops already amassed at Manassas. The plan succeeded, but the rebel troops at Manassas were victorious. After the Battle of Manassas, the troops were ordered back to Harper's Ferry on their way home. They then marched to Antietam and to Hagerstown, where they took the train back to Harrisburg to turn in their gear, receive their pay and be discharged. He returned to Lancaster County and stayed with his sister, Maria and her husband, David Roth in Marietta for the next year. He suffered from rheumatism since Camp Slifer and Maria helped care for him during his episodes. Despite this illness, he courted and wed Elizabeth "Lizzie" Bartle, a neighbor of the Stibgens in West Hempfield. They were married at Presbyterian Church at Marietta on June 29, 1862 and soon gave birth to a daughter, Carrie, in 1863. In 1864, Lizzie would die unexpectedly, leaving the rheumatic William and Carrie alone. William and Carrie moved to Philadelphia to live with his brother John and his Virginia born wife Blanche. Blanche would help raise Carrie and treat William when his rheumatism would return. In between these bouts, he held a variety of odd jobs, including hanging wallpaper in Camden, New Jersey with a fellow veteran of the 10th. But he spent most of his life counting lumber at a lumber yard at 17th and Callowhill Streets in Philadelphia. By 1896, William was receiving a pension for his rheumatism and was living with his daughter Carrie, who never married. His rheumatic episodes became more frequent and he was injured at work in 1902. A doctor's report described him as a "poorly nourished man, grey haired, blue eyed with a dark complexion and weighing 121 pounds." He could no longer hold a job and lived on his pension for the rest of his life. Eventually, William needed round-the-clock care for his rheumatism, and Carrie placed him in the National Soldier's Home in Elizabeth City, Virginia. It was here, on September 17, 1917 that he died of "acute cardiac dilitation". Carrie wrote the following note to the U.S. Pension office upon his death: Phila. Nov. 19, 1917 Commissioner of Pensions Dear Sir, My father William Stibgen died September 17, 1917, National Soldiers Home, Virginia. I am his daughter - his only child he ever had - he always helped me with his pension. I would like to know if I am not entitled to his last pension. The home says his pension certificate No. 634623 has been forwarded to you with notice of his death. Please give this your careful attention and oblige. Respectfully - Carrie E. Stibgen 772 Union St West Phila. Pa.