Stephen Benton Staley
Montpelier Examiner, Friday, November 30, 1917, page 5
ANOTHER VETERAN FALLS ASLEEP IN DEATHS ARMS
Shortly after seven o'clock last Wednesday evening, taps were sounded for another veteran of the Civil War, when Steve B Staley fell peacefully into that sleep from which there is no awakening. Death came after months of suffering with trouble and complications incident thereto. Although he realized the end was near, he was always cheerful. He took a deep interest in the great European war and up until Wednesday, he was eager to read the daily accounts of the conflict.
Mr. Staley was born at Miamisburg, Ohio on April 30, 1843. He was just 18 years of age when President Lincoln issued his call for 100,000 volunteers. In response to the call, Mr. Staley and three brothers and their father enlisted in Company B Second Ohio regiment of volunteers, the father being appointed chaplain of the regiment. This regiment was in the first battle of Bull Run and Mr. Staley had a close call from death when retreating with the thousands of other union soldiers.
In attempting to crawl though an old fashioned stake and rider rail fence, his canteen strap caught on a rail and while trying to get it loose a Confederate cavalryman rode up and was about to strike him with a saber, when a Union comrade stopped from his retreat long enough to take a shot at the rebel cavalryman, and the bullet sent him reeling from his horse. The father and fours sons served until the close of the war and all escaped being wounded except one son, who had a finer shot off.
Shortly after being mustered out of service, Mr. Staley came to Omaha where he learned the machinists trade in the Union Pacific shops. After completing the trade he fired an engine in the Omaha yards for several years. In 1875 he began running an engine and worked out of all the divisions on the U P from Omaha to Evanston. He was transferred to the Oregon Short Line soon after the construction of the road began out of Granger, and was engineer on the construction train as road was built westward. He "pulled" the first passenger train between Granger and Montpelier.
He remained with the Short Line as engineer until about 1900, when his health forced him to retire. He then had charge of the pump house here until about eight years ago, when he retired from the service of the company on a pension and with an honorable record.
For several years Mr. Staley served the city as police judge and justice of the peace, holding the latter office at the time of his death. He was a life long republican and while he probably never cast a vote for a democrat in his life, some of his warmest friends were democrats. He was held in the highest esteem by all who knew him. In fact, we doubt if anyone was ever heard to speak an unkind word of Steve Staley.
He is survived by his wife, two sons, one daughter and three step daughters, a brother in Omaha and two sisters in Rochester New York. His funeral services will be held from the Presbyterians church this afternoon at 1:30 o'clock and will be in charge of the odd Fellows of which Order the deceased had been a member for more than 40 years.