Benjamin F Staples was born in Cornish, Maine on Jan 17, 1836. In 1854, when he was 18, the family moved to Minnesota and settled in St Joseph Township in Stearns County. Their farm was located six miles from town on the Sauk River on what became known as the Rockville Road. When the news of the firing on Ft Sumter was brought to the northwest he literally left his plow in the field at noon and traveled to Ft Snelling to enlist in the army. On May 30, 1861, the 25 year old was mustered in to Company E of the First Minnesota Infantry. A newspaper correspondent told of Staples harrowing experience during the regiment's first fight of the war, the Battle of Bull Run. "B F Staples, Company E, being cut off, mistook Mississippi Rifles for a Vermont regiment, ran toward them, and they took him prisoner. Some wanted to bayonet him on the spot, others to shoot him; but many said he was too brave a fellow to be dispatched so, and the majority prevailed. Just then a Michigan regiment charged them and they broke and fled like sheep to their batteries, and their prisoner stood still, and getting a gun, fired after them, and then joined again the loyal troops. This regiment in turn thought they had a rebel, and in took him prisoner and brought him in!" While in winter camp at Camp Stone, MD, he developed chronic diarrhea and was sent to the regimental hospital there. In the peninsular campaign that spring he developed rheumatism as well. These maladies were to plague him for the rest of his life. He was captured at Antietam on Sept 17, 1862, and held briefly as a prisoner of war at Richmond. He was paroled at Aikens Landing, VA, on Oct 6th. He was sent to Alexandria, VA and to a general hospital, probably in the area. While recovering there he also worked as a cook. He reported back to the regiment on Dec 19, 1862. At Gettysburg, Corporal Staples was wounded in the left leg above the knee. He recovered and returned to service. He was a good soldier and during his service. In 1864 he was promoted to the rank of sergeant in Company E. The above picture was taken in St Paul, in May of 1864, at the time he and the regiment was mustered out of the service. Late in the war, Ben's younger brother, Jacob, served in the Second Battery, Minnesota Light Artillery. Jacob served from September 1, 1864, to August 16, 1865. Ben was a modest and quiet person. He returned to his farm and resumed the life he knew before the war. On May 9, 1866, Ben married Mary Elizabeth Bosworth in Minneapolis. They lived on the family farm in St Joseph for the rest of their lives and raised two sons, L D (2/10/67) and John T (4/21/78). Toward the end of his life, suffering from the effects of the wear and tear on his body while in the service, Ben was oftentimes not able to work up to the level of a healthy man his age. At the end of his life he was totally emaciated. His body was described as being just skin and bones. Advanced age and chronic stomach trouble, which the doctor listed chronic diarrhea, were the cause of his death, which occurred at his home, on December 17, 1907. He was 71 years old. His body was laid to rest in the family cemetery located about a mile from his farm. Sources: The Stillwater Messenger, Stillwater, MN, Aug 6, 1861, p 3. St Paul Daily Union, St Paul, MN, Jan 7, 1863, p 1. National Archives pension records, Benjamin Staples. The St Cloud Times, Tues, Dec 17, 1907, MHS. The St Cloud Journal Press, Wed, Dec 18, 1907, MHS. The Duluth News Tribune, Thurs, Dec 19, 1907, MHS. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
