Bios: Simon Rusing Stibgen, 1846-1910: 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.

              Simon Rusing Stibgen, 1846-1910

Simon Rusing Stibgen was born on September 20, 1846 in Marietta,
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to Abraham Kauffman Stibgen and the
widow Rusing.  Simon was the youngest child of the family, who all
lived on a farm in West Hempfield Township near Marietta.  Simon
spent all of his childhood years at this farm.  On August 9, 1862,
when Simon was 17, he reported to Camp Curtin in Harrisburg to
volunteer to help the Union cause in the Civil War.  He was described
as a healthy young man of five feet, seven and a half inches, with
dark hair, black eyes.  His term of enlistment was nine months.  His
volunteer unit was organized into the 135th Pennsylvania Infantry
under Colonel James Porter on August 19th.  Simon and other Lancaster
County residents were assigned to Company H.  After the unit arrived
in Washington, General Wadsworth had the unit assigned to various
posts around the city to perform guard duty and serve on courts
martial.  Despite the efforts of Colonel Porter, the unit spent the
next 5 months in Washington until the units were ordered to join the
armies in Virginia by General "Fighting Joe" Hooker.  General
Wadsworth's troops were assigned to the First Army Corps, 3rd
Division.  The 135th was moved to Belle Plain, Virginia and posted
there and was assigned picket duty.  Finally, in late April, the
135th would see action in Chancellorsville.  They were assigned to
cover the First Army Corps and defend the artillery positions as they
forded the Rappahannock River.  While there was shooting on all sides
and several Union prisoners taken, there were no casualties
reported.  Ultimately, the Confederates would win the battle, but
General Abner Doubleday would comment that "Colonel Porter [and the
135th have] rendered very good service...his men defended against
enemy sharpshooters handsomely."  It was the last battle the 135th
would see, as they were mustered out of service in May.  Simon paid
the U.S. $2.99 for a haversack lost during the battle and returned
home to Marietta.  In the late 1860's, Simon had set up a jewelry and
watchmaking practice in downtown Marietta.  "S.R. Stibgen" had his
shop on the corner of Market and Elbow Streets in the heart of
downtown Marietta.  It was around this time that he met and fell in
love with Anna Barr Spengler, daughter of prominent Marietta
businessman and banker Barr Spengler.  They were married in the
Presbyterian Church in Marietta on September 7, 1874 by J.A. Drum. 
Soon, Anna gave birth to Mary F. Stibgen (b. September 7, 1876) and
Barr S. Stibgen (b. February 13, 1879).  Life continued happily for
the Stibgens until the 1890's, when Simon began to complain of
"rheumatism and kidney disease."  The U.S. government began to give
him a Union Veterans' pension on September 22, 1897.  By 1903, he
suffered from "an affection of the left arm which is a trouble and
painful...Lung Trouble" in addition to his previous ailments.  By
this time Simon looked "sallow...with general emaciation present." 
Simon still had his dark hair, but weighed only 113 pounds.    In
1905, Simon's store was burglarized when thieves broke the main
window and stole 8 revolvers.  The thieves apparently were about to
take the valuable jewelry and watches in the main room, but were
scared off by Simon's bulldog.  In 1908, doctors wrote that he
suffered from "Chronic Bronchitis, Lumbago and Heart disease."  Simon
finally died on January 20, 1910 where he lived most of his life, in
Marietta.  Mary continued to live in Marietta until her death on
January 14, 1938.  

Sources:    Simon R. Stibgen Civil War Service Record, National Archives  
Simon R. Stibgen U.S. Pension Office File, National Archives  
U.S. Census Records, National Archives  
Lititz Express, July 7, 1905  Lancaster County Biographies