E. E. Norton: His story versus history

Civil War veteran Emery E. Norton was a legend in his own time, and the tales he told about his own service were certainly exciting. His stories, however rousing they may have been and however embellished they may have become, do not altogether match the history presented by his service record. Read More...

John Summerfield Staples: In the Shadow of History | Joy and Sorrow

John Summerfield Staples returned to Washington D.C. from a lengthy and stressful prisoner guarding sojourn to Ohio and found the Capitol celebrating the re-election of President Lincoln. He wondered how Stroudsburg would be marking the event. Parades and flag-waving were probably not on the agenda. Read More...

John Summerfield Staples: In the Shadow of History | Legend and Legacy

Many have risen to positions of power and glory only to end up as footnotes in seldom-read history books. John Summerfield Staples of Stroudsburg is different — he’s always been a footnote. His position as President Lincoln’s representative in the Union Army is certainly unique in military history, but attempts to recognize and honor him have not exactly ignited the public’s interest, although there have been some highlights. Read More...

John Summerfield Staples: In the Shadow of History | A Meeting with President Lincoln

Washington, D.C., July 1864 — Life in the nation’s capital was unlike life in Monroe County’s seat of government. John Staples, Summerfield’s father, experienced a period of adjustment, but was now accustomed to the traffic, heat, humidity, and the crowds of people, to say nothing of the mosquito population. Read More...

John Summerfield Staples: In the Shadow of History | Retreat to Stroudsburg

New Bern, N.C., May 1863 — Home and family seemed a distant memory. In the delirium of fever, brought on by typhoid, John Summerfield Staples struggled to recall the events of the past seven months. He concentrated on separating reality from dreams. There was no doubt about the reality of death. They had buried three men, boys really, along the route of march, all lost to the same disease he now lay stricken with. Read More...

John Summerfield Staples: In the Shadow of History | Off to War

Stroudsburg, Pa. 1845 — From early morning until dusk a relentless sun bore down from a cloudless sky and heat shimmered and danced off buildings and streets. Flowering plants and shrubs, long a symbol of pride and prestige in the Borough of Stroudsburg, went without water so vegetable gardens could produce food for families. Read More...

First burial at Arlington National Cemetery was Monroe County man

Pvt. William H. Christman of Tobyhanna Township, Monroe County, was buried on the grounds of the Arlington estate on Friday, May 13, 1864. It is not known how he was chosen, but he was the first person to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Read More...

Local African-Americans fought in deadly Civil War battle

More than 185,000 men of African descent served with the United States Colored Troops (USCT) during the American Civil War. This article provides a brief history of and local connection to the formation of the USCT. Read More...