John Summerfield Staples

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Summerfield Staples (1845 - 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.

[edit] Background

Staples was born in 1845 in Stroud Township, Pennsylvania. After the Civil War began, he enlisted in the Pennsylvania Infantry, but only served a few months due to illness. Following discharge he moved to Washington, D.C. where he was approached by a representative of the president.

During the Civil War, it became customary for Union 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 $500.

Staples saw little action during the year he served as the president's representative, working as a clerk and prison guard.

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