The patriarch of the Stibbs family was John Howard Stibbs (1840-1916), who was born in Wayne County, Ohio. As a young man, he moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to go into business with his brother, Henry, and while there volunteered and was mustered into the United States military in 1861 as a Private and Orderly Sergeant in Company K of the First Iowa Infantry Volunteers. His main service was with Company D of the 12th Iowa Infantry Volunteers, where he served from November 1861 to April 1866. He is also known for being on the military commission that tried Henry Wirz, the Confederate officer in charge of Andersonville prison.
From the description of Stibbs family papers, 1819-1990s (bulk 1859-1866) (Tulane University). WorldCat record id: 729261360
