Born to John Rosencrans, Jr. (1775-1845) & Olive Downing Rosencrans (1777-1867).

John married Margaret Fairchild (1811-1887) in 1830 in Luzerne County, PA.

12 children, 11 of whom are known:
• Mary Ann Rosencrans Clutter (1831-1906)
• George Washington Rosencrans (1833-1853)
• William Rosencrans (1835-1868)
• John B Rosencrans (1839-1906)
• Elizabeth Olive Rosencrans Hill (1840-1898)
• Ellen Rosencrans Johnson (1841-1909; twin to Emily)
• Emily Rosencrans Burtnett (5/9/1841-2/3/1919 in CA; grave unknown; m. Jasper Newton Burtnett Memorial# 6413775; twin to Ellen)
• Mary Jane Rosencrans Neal (1846–1872)
• Solomon Fairchild Rosencrans (1847-1906)
• Margaret Priscilla Rosencrans Linn (1848-1923)
• Tacy Roena Rosencrans (1851-1852)

John is buried at Letimberville Cemetery, now called Kirkpatrick Cemetery. Letimberville is now a ghost town.

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From "The History of Marion County, Ohio," 1883, p. 985-987:

HON. JOHN ROSENCRANS, Esq., now a resident of Bucyrus, Ohio, was for 35 years an honored and prominent citizen of Scott Township, Marion County. He was born August 14, 1808, at Nanticoke, Hanover Township, Luzerne Co., Penn. where he lived until nine years of age, at which time his parents, John and Olive (Downing) Rosencrans, with their family, moved to Newport Township, Luzerne County, Penn. In that township he lived until he was 39 years old.

The Rosencrans family were originally from Holland and emigrated to America at an early period, as John Rosencrans, the grandfather of John, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. The father of our subject was for many years a school teacher, but during the latter years of his life was a farmer in Newport Township, Luzerne County, Penn., where he died in 1845, aged about 70 years. His wife died at the same place several years afterward. She was aged about 90 years. Her maiden name was Olive Downing, and her birthplace was in Connecticut and was reared at Wilkes Barre, Penn.

John Rosencrans, the subject of this biographical notice, was reared to the life of a farmer, and during his minority received the advantages of a good common school education. When 19 years of age, he taught a summer school for two terms, and for the next nine years taught school each winter. He was married when in his twenty-second year to Margaret Fairchild, who was born May 14, 1811, and was a daughter of Solomon and Elizabeth (Lutsey) Fairchild, all of Newport Township, Luzerne Co., Penn. The spring he was married he bought land, and during his subsequent residence in Pennsylvania was always interested to a greater or less extent in farming, and in buying and selling of farming lands; at both businesses he was uniformly successful.

When he was 28 years of age, there were six school directors to be elected, and Mr. Rosencrans was a candidate. The one receiving the highest number of votes was to hold office for six years, and those receiving a lesser number were to hold office from two to four years, according to the number of votes received by each. Esquire Rosencrans received the highest number of votes, and was in consequence elected school director of Newport Township for six years.

About this time, a post office was established at his house in Newport and named Painesville. He was appointed postmaster, serving as such six years. When 29 years of age, he was elected auditor of Luzerne County, and upon the expiration of his term of three years as auditor, which office he had filled with great satisfaction to the citizens of the county, he was elected and served as county commissioner. While a resident of that county, he also served in many minor official positions, such as township assessor, land appraiser, etc.

In 1847, he exchanged his home in Newport Township, Penn., for 160 acres of land on the southwest quarter, Section 14, Scott Township, Marion County, and the same year came here to live with his wife and eight children, named as follows: Mary Ann, George W., William, Elizabeth O., John, Ellen and Emily (twins), Solomon F.; two others, Margaret P. and Tacy, were born in Scott Township. On his arrival in Scott Township, he commenced improving his property, and was soon recognized by the citizens as one of the leading men of the township in all its affairs, a position that he maintained throughout his long residence in that locality.

The autumn succeeding his settlement in the township, he was elected justice of the peace, and received his commission next spring. This office he filled with such impartiality and good judgment that he was continued in the position by the unanimous votes of the people for 33 years, and, what is unprecedented, only one case was ever carried up to a superior court that came before his court. He also served on the School Board of Scott Township 35 years, as assessor and land appraiser two terms each, clerk of the Township four years, as county commissioner of Marion County six years, and as member of the Ohio House of Representatives two years. He was also postmaster at Letimberville during President Taylor's administration.

Since Esquire Rosencrans first purchased land in Scott Township, he has increased his landed possessions to 802 acres in that township, 640 acres in McLean County, Ill., and 40 acres in Missouri. In the spring of 1882, he retired from business and moved to Bucyrus, Ohio, and now resides in a neat residence on the south end of Sandusky Avenue.

He is a Democrate in politics, and although a believer in the Christian religion, he never was a member of any church. He is one of those large-hearted, generous men, characteristic of the old-time pioneer gentleman. He is still hale and vigorous, and while the writer was at his house, August 14, 1883, his children and grandchildren began gathering in quite unexpectedly to him in honor of his seventy-fifth birthday. As an honored pioneer of Marion County, we present the portrait of Mr. Rosencrans in this work.

S. F. ROSENCRANS is the son of John and Margaret Rosencrans, who were born in Pennsylvania and emigrated from that State. S. F. was one of twelve children. In 1847, his parents came to Scott Township, settling on the "old Young farm," consisting of 160 acres, which they increased in subsequent years to 800 acres. The old people still live in Bucyrus (see Hon. Rosencrans' sketch). The subject of this sketch married in February of 1872 Miss Amanda Lee, daughter of Sarah A. Lee, and their three children are Rosa, Flora and John. Mrs. Rosencrans died in 1876; he continued a widower two years, marrying then Mrs. Mary Fairchilds, Daniel Fairchild's widow. One child has been born to them-Emma May. Mr. Rosencrans owns 80 acres of land in Arkansas. He has been renting his father's farm of 505 acres for the past few years, paying $1,100 annually. He is an extensive farmer, raising large fields of corn annually. He has been Township Trustee, and is a member of the Knights of Pythias and of Calanthe Lodge, No. 116.