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from Past and Present of Mahaska County, Iowa by Manoah Hedge The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. 1906
Stuart B. Shannon, who is engaged in the furniture business in New Sharon, was born on the 16th of October, 1841, in the state of New Jersey. His father, David Shannon, was born in Warren county, New Jersey, and in early life learned and followed the wagonmaker's trade, but eventually gave his attention to agricultural pursuits. He continued a resident of his native county up to the time of his death, which occurred when he was seventy-nine years of age. He had wedded Catherine Angle, who was born in New Jersey and died in Alpena, Michigan, at the age of seventy-two years, while on a visit to her son. Stuart B. Shannon was the fourth in order of birth in a family of ten children: Isaac, a wagonmaker, residing in Bay City, Michigan; Daniel, who died in Bay City; Eliza, the wife of Phil Albertson, who died in New Jersey in 1905; Stuart B.; Emma, who is living in Warren county, New Jersey; John, a waganmaker residing in Bay City, Michigan; George, who is engaged in the furniture business in Alpena, Michigan; Charles, residing in Newark, New Jersey; Clarkson, who died in that city; and Louisa, who was the wife of William Cregg and died in Newark, New Jersey. Stuart B. Shannon was reared upon his father's farm and attended the district schools. At the age of twenty years he entered business life as a clerk in a dry-goods store in Delaware, New Jersey, where he remained until after the outbreak of the Civil war. He then assisted in raising Company I, of the Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry, and was to have been made second lieutenant. This was an independent regiment, which proceeded to Washington, and there Mr. Shannon was transferred and put in charge of a battery of light artillery, the command being attached to the Army of the Potomac. He participated in McClellan's campaign, was in the seven-days' battle of the Wilderness and was with Grant around Petersburg. He was at Newport News at the time of the great naval engagement between the Merrimac and Monitor, the first battle between the ironclads, and witnessed this struggle with a field glass. At the battle of Black River Mr. Shannon was injured by being thrown from a horse when his regiment was retreating, being surrounded on three sides by the rebels. The horse was shot and killed and in falling Mr. Shannon was thrown on some stumps and severely injured. He spent six days inside of the rebel lines but swore he would never go to a rebel prison. He later joined Grant's army while on Wilson's raid. He was honorably discharged by reason of the expiration of his term of enlistment at Bermuda, near Petersburg, Virginia, after serving for three years and sixty days. Twenty years after the close of the war he made application to the government for a pension and now receives ten dollars per month. When the war was over Mr. Shannon returned to New Jersey, where he was engaged in the furniture business for a year. He then went to Bay City, Michigan, and for two decades was the leading furniture dealer and undertaker of that place. For ten years he occupied the only stone front building, and later he built a store of his own and also owned one of the finest brick residences there. He assisted in organizing and was the first president of the Michigan State Undertakers Association, and he was regarded as a most prominent and influential as well as successful business man. In 1868 Mr. Shannon was married to Miss Hulda Titman, also a native of Warren county, New Jersey. They had traveled life's journey happily together for about eighteen years when Mrs. Shannon become ill with a cancer. He took her to New York for treatment but without avail and she died in 1886. While he was absent Mr. Shannon left his business in the hands of others with the result that it was not capably managed, and he lost nearly everything he had. He had worked hard and had withstood the ill effect of the financial panic in which many other business men had gone down. Because of his losses he determined to make a start elsewhere and in 1887 went to Oskaloosa, where he again embarked in business, but the competition in that city was too great for his small capital, and in 1890 he came to New Sharon. Here he purchased a building, to which he has since built an addition, and has here successfully conducted a furniture store. He no longer does any undertaking, but has a good trade in furniture and a well equipped establishment. In 1888 Mr. Shannon was again married, his second union being with Miss Abbie Shannon, who was born in Warren county, New Jersey, but though of the same name is not a relative. By the first marriage there was one child, a son, who is engaged in the music business at Kalamazoo, Michigan. In his political views Mr. Shannon has always been an earnest republican but has neither sought nor desired office since coming to Iowa. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church and is a Knight Templar Mason, and belongs to H. C. Leighton post, No. 199, G. A. R., of New Sharon, of which he is a past commander. He has taken an active interest in the work of the post and maintains pleasant relations with his old army comrades around its campfires.
Past and Present of Mahaska County, Iowa
Mahaska County, Iowa Genealogy