John Summerfield Staples

John Summerfield Staples (August 14, 1845 – January 11, 1888) was an American soldier who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He is notable as the paid "stand-in" for President Abraham Lincoln.

Background

Staples was born in 1845 in Stroud Township in rural Monroe County, Pennsylvania. During the Civil War, he enlisted in late 1862 as a private in Company C of the 176th Pennsylvania volunteer infantry, but only served a few months due to illness, likely typhoid fever.

Following his medical discharge, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked with his father as a carpenter. In October 1864, he was approached by a representative of the president. During the Civil War, it became customary for many citizens to pay for "substitutes" to serve in the army in their place. Hoping to set a good example, President Lincoln selected Staples as his substitute and paid him a bounty of $500. Staples saw little action during the year he served as the president's representative, primarily working as a clerk and prison guard. He mustered out in September 1865.

Following the war, Staples returned to Pennsylvania where he died in 1888. He is buried in Stroudsburg Cemetery.

In 1999, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and the Monroe County Historical Associationa erected a historical marker on West Main Street in Stroudsburg to commemorate John Summerfield Staples and his ties to President Lincoln.

References

* [http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070309/NEWS01/703090321 Staples Biography from "The Pocono Record"]