This extraordinary collection of 1861 correspondence from the Stibbs family, written just before and during the Civil War, serves as a bridge through time. It connects us to their lives through stories of courage, faith, and resilience. The Stibbs boys were raised in Wooster, Wayne County, Ohio, as the children of Reasin Beall Stibbs and Emeline (Sprague) Stibbs. As young men, they eventually moved westward in search of new opportunities.
John H. "Jack" Stibbs, the first of four brothers to volunteer for service, joined the First Iowa Volunteer Infantry. An ambitious young man with good connections, he faithfully exchanged letters with his family. These letters offer an intimate glimpse into the turmoil of military life and the quiet struggles at home. The Stibbs familyÑeducated, principled, and grounded in faithÑwrote with warmth and honesty. Their letters invite readers to witness the Civil War as they did: not as a distant chapter in history but as a vivid, unfolding reality.
Many of these letters, originally penned in their Federal-era homeÑwhich still stands today in Wooster as the Beall-Stibbs House on the campus of the Wayne County Historical Society of OhioÑopen a rare window into the life and spirit of a family bound by love and enduring faith during one of AmericaÕs most turbulent times., civil war, 12th iowa, twelfth iowa, iowa, ohio, Stibbs, S. Zimmerman| | 194PAGES