Stephen Decatur (Bross) Decatur (1815 - 1888)

Born 27 Nov 1815 in Sussex, New Jersey, United States

Ancestors

Died 5 Jun 1888 at age 72 in Rosita, Custer, Colorado, United States

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Research Notes

There are several different dates of birth, but because he abandoned his wife/2 kids, he changed his identity and even "denied knowing his relations when he ran into them."

According to Dutch Reformed Church records Stephen and William were not twins as is purported in most biographies, however, they were baptized on the same day. William was born 4 November 1813 and Stephen was born 27 November 1815. ^[1]

No source as to why his obit/headstone have "Commodore"

Biography

Pvt Stephen (Bross) Decatur served with the United States of America during the Mexican-American War
Service Started: mmm dd, yyyy
Unit(s):
Service Ended: mmm dd, yyyy

Commodore Stephen (Bross) Decatur served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: Aug 26, 1864
Mustered out: 1865
Side: USA
Regiment(s): Co D 3rd Regiment Colorado Cavalry

Nickname: the "Bloodless Third"

Soldier Details

Name: Stephen D Decatur

Battle Unit Name: 3rd Regiment, Colorado Cavalry

Side: Union

Company: F

Soldier's Rank In: Pvt

Soldier's Rank Out: Pvt

Alternate name:

Film Number: M534 ROLL 1

Plaque Number:

Notes: Battle Unit Note - (100 Days War Side Note - 1864.)

Born to Moses Bross and Jane Winfield in Sussex County, New Jersey

Older brother William, later became Lieutenant Governor of Illinois

William and Stephen roomed together while attending Williams College; William appears in the Junior Class and Stephen appears in the Sophomore Class in the 1836-7 College Catalogue.

1870 Colorado Territory,Clear Creek, Georgetown

Name Stephen Decatur

Occupation: Associate Editor

Age 53

Birth Year (Estimated) 1816-1817

Birthplace New York

Page Number 20

Citing this Record

"was one of the earliest settlers in Nebraska. He was the namesake and one of the incorporators of Decatur, Nebraska, the second-oldest settlement in Nebraska.[4" (wikipedia.com)

Headstone Inscription

Commodore

Stephen Decatur

Died 1888

(There is nothing that says his Family name was BROSS

Sources

1. ↑ Church Records, Image Free Ancestry Image

1. Descriptive Card
2. "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4L2-XV7 : 12 April 2016), Stephen Decatur, Colorado, United States; citing p. 20, family 208, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 545,593.
3. Find A Grave: Memorial #75726152

• Wikipedia contributors, "Stephen Decatur Bross," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stephen_Decatur_Bross&oldid=870947609 (accessed May 31, 2019).

1. "Colorado's Colorful Characters" book
2. "1836: William & Stephen Decatur Bross to Margaret Bross". Spared and Shared: Old letters spared from obscurity. Retrieved 31 July 2013.

• Dutch Reformed Church Records from New York and New Jersey. Holland Society of New York, New York, New York; database and digital images, "U.S., Dutch Reformed Church Records in Selected States, 1639-1989," Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014 Ancestry Record 6961 #300016556: accessed 30 May 2019; citing Holland Society of New York; New York, New York; Deer Park, Book 12.