1864 Civil War Letter — Private Levi Yantz, 9th Iowa —Skirmish at Claysville, AL

Description

In this letter written to his sister on March 13 and 16, 1864, Private Levi Yantz of the 9th Iowa discusses his decision not to reenlist, volunteering for the pioneer corps, and the March 14 skirmish at Claysville during which several members of his company were captured. Yantz, who was previously wounded at Pea Ridge and Vicksburg, writes on March 13 that he is “glad now that I did not reenlist for I believe that we are going to have war with Mexico and other foreign nations.” “If so,” he adds, “I think the boys that went in for 3 years more will have a chance to serve their time out. They will earn their 402 dollars.” Yantz then describes how officers “were around here today taking names to be detailed into the pioneer corps.” This type of duty, for which two men per company were typically detailed, included felling trees, clearing obstacles, fixing wagons, and other engineering activities. “I put my name down,” writes Yantz, explaining that “we don’t have any fighting to do except when the rebs happen to run in our way & that is not very often.”
Yantz then describes the region surrounding his location at Woodville, Alabama:
Julia, you have always wanted me to write something about the country in the South. Well now I will give you a description of Woodville. It is a place, as I believe, where the lord finished making the world and he had plenty of material left & thought this place never would be inhabited so he piled it up here in this place, for it is the most mountainous place that I ever saw. I can walk 10 miles without ever stepping on the ground.
Yantz closes this portion of the letter writing how “the rest of the boys are all to bed snoozing away while I am on guard.” He intended on mailing the letter, but not having an opportunity he continues to write on March 16, providing details of two unfortunate incidents. The first of these was the March 14 skirmish at Claysville, where a party of men from the 4th Iowa, Yantz’s 9th Iowa, and the 29th Missouri were surprised and routed by about 150 rebel cavalry. Yantz writes:
Well Julia I had this all ready to send and as we have had bad luck since I will give you the details. There were some 80 of the non-veterans of our regt. & the 4th Iowa & some of the other regts. They were put in the jackass cavalry and sent to Claysville night before last. The boys were all in their huts asleep & the rebs crossed the Tennessee River & captured all the boys but 3 of the 4th Iowa. Them two boys of our Co that did not reenlist, they were taken. John Knight, F. Reeves. They only killed one rebel. They was taken out of their beds. That was done at 4 o’clock I the morning.
Private John F. Knight of Castalia and Private Fernando T. Reeve of Maysville, both of Yantz’s Company I, were captured and sent to the prison camp at Andersonville, where they died on October 22 and September 21, respectively. Both are buried in the national cemetery there.
Yantz had one more unfortunate story to relate with the space remaining on his letter sheet:
There were 2 of the 32nd Mo. out in the woods yesterday & three of our loyal citizens caught them & tied them up to a tree & shot them. One was killed and the other was shot through the jaws. As they supposed he was dead they left him, & he come into camp & they are taking all citizens to be tried. This man was in drawing rations the day before.
The letter was written on four pages of a 5” x 8” bifolium letter sheet. Excellent condition with light foxing and toning. Creased at the original mailing folds. The full transcript follows:
Camp at Woodville Ala.  March 13th / 64
Detachment of 9th Iowa Inft.
Dear Sister
Once more I seat myself to inform you that I am well and tough as a buck and I hope these few lines may find you enjoying the same. I have had only one shake since I arrived here and have been taking Quinine ever since. If the ague would only let me alone I should be all right. I am glad now that I did not reenlist for I believe that we are going to have war with Mexico and other foreign nations. If so I think the boys that went in for 3 years more will have a chance to serve their time out. They will earn their 402 dollars. They were around here today taking names to be detailed into the pioneer corps. I put my name down. For one, we will be detailed in a few days. If I am lucky enough to get in there I shall come out alright, yet we don’t have any fighting to do except when the rebs happen to run in our way & that is not very often. Julia, you have always wanted me to write something about the country in the South. Well now I will give you a description of Woodville. It is a place, as I believe, where the lord finished making the world and he had plenty of material left & thought this place never would be inhabited so he piled it up here in this place, for it is the most mountainous place that I ever saw. I can walk 10 miles without ever stepping on the ground. It is a good place to dig wells. The stone is always handy. It is the healthiest place that I have been in since I have been south. Well Julia, I commenced this about 2 hours ago. I happened to pick up the Prairie Flower and have been reading ever since. It is about the adventures in the far west and a very good book. It is now 11 o’clock and the rest of the boys are all to bed snoozing away while I am on guard. We are expecting the Regt. back now in a few days. They have got 400 new recruits for the 9th. Their time will be up on the 15th of March 1864. I will close. Write soon. My love to all. Levi Yantz
Co. I, 9th Iowa Inft.
In care of Capt. C. W. Inman
Woodville Alabama
1st Brigade, 1st Division, 15h AC
Army of the Cumberland
I would send a box of clothing home but there is no express office here within 50 miles.
Woodville March 16th
Well Julia I had this all ready to send and as we have had bad luck since I will give you the details. There were some 80 of the non-veterans of our regt. & the 4th Iowa & some of the other regts. They were put in the jackass cavalry and sent to Claysville night before last. The boys were all in their huts asleep & the rebs crossed the Tennessee River & captured all the boys but 3 of the 4th Iowa. Them two boys of our Co that did not reenlist, they were taken. John Knight, F. Reeves. They only killed one rebel. They was taken out of their beds. That was done at 4 o’clock I the morning. There were 2 of the 32nd Mo. out in the woods yesterday & three of our loyal citizens caught them & tied them up to a tree & shot them. One was killed and the other was shot through the jaws. As they supposed he was dead they left him, & he come into camp & they are taking all citizens to be tried. This man was in drawing rations the day before.
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