The following letter was written by Noah Webster Yoder (1837-1877)—the son of Yost Yoder (1803-1850) and Nancy Hochstetler (1810-1882) of Berlin, Holmes county, Ohio. He was married to Catherine Zincon (1841-1882).

The following biographical sketch was found on Find-A-Grave:

Noah educated himself, taught school, studied medicine and practiced till the war of 1861, when he entered the army as 2nd Lieutenant in Co. G, 51st Ohio Vol. Infantry (OVI). He engaged in many battles and skirmishes in Kentucky and Tennessee. At the battle of Stone River, through some mistaken order of his superior officers, his regiment was ordered to advance over the brow of the hill and hold the position at all hazards. The rebels advanced in solid mass and cut the regiment all to pieces. He was in command and refused to retreat against orders and was hit first by a large musket ball, which entered in front of the breast, fractured the left collar bone and came out the back near the spine. A branch of the large artery which leads from the heart to the head was severed and the blood spurted at every pulsation. His knowledge of surgery taught him how to stop the blood, which saved his life. His comrades against his earnest protest refused to abandon him on the field. In the midst of the hail of bullets and cannon balls, they picked him up but were shot down one after another until at last Mr. John Hall, of Berlin, Ohio—a powerful man who had been drafted and joined the regiment only a few days before—picked him up bodily and set him against a stump with his face toward the rebels.

While he was being carried in this manner, a ball fractured his left leg below the knee. The enemy charged past him and nothing but the stump against which he leaned kept him from being crushed to death. A rebel officer who was in the rear of the advancing charge was attracted by his groans and upon looking at him was struck with the fine intellectual face. Noah had a remarkable, kind and striking appearance. The officer stooped down and spoke some kind words to him calling him “Pawdner”. and inquired what he could do for him. The only reply that Noah could make was, “Water! For God’s sake give me some water!” His thirst was caused by the loss of blood. No one that has not experienced this feeling can realize it. The officer slipped the strap of his canteen over his head, went to the river which was some distance away, brought it back and Noah was no time in draining it dry. The officer said, “I must join my command and can nothing more for you.” Noah said, “Go! God Bless you.”

The rebels were soon driven back past Noah and as fate would have it, formed their lines of battle just beyond him which left him about midway between the two firing lines and there for nine terrible hours he lay, the bullets and cannon balls from both sides passed over, round and by him. He was hit eight times. The end of his finger was cut off, the breast bone was hit, a ball passed through his bowels and in fact he was shot all to pieces. This battle was fought Jan. 2, 1863, and yet Noah lived to raise a family of children and do much good in the practice of medicine in the Shanesville community. He lived through all this to be upset from his carriage, in what might be called a mud run, and drowned while on his way to relieve a suffering patient. When his untimely and tragic death occurred there was mourning in every household. Mothers went about their work sobbing and children wept at the mention of his name. Winter snows may fall and cover his grave, but his memory will ever remain green in the hearts of those who knew him best. His heroism, patriotic devotion to his country, and the great good he did to his people will be told from generation to generation.”

Noah wrote the letter to his younger brother, Samuel S. Yoder (1841-1921). Samuel’s biographical sketch is also on Find-A-Grave:

“Samuel was educated at and attended the local common public schools and the prestigious Mount Vernon Seminary in Mount Vernon, Ohio. He then entered Wooster University in Wooster, Ohio, and later graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Following the outbreak of the American Civil War, he enlisted in the Union Army with the 128th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, on April 19, 1862, and rose to the rank of Lieutenant and continued serving until the Civil War ended in 1865. Following the Civil War, he studied medicine and opened up a practice in Bluffton, Ohio. He then was elected the Mayor of Bluffton, Ohio, and served in that position from 1868 to 1878. He then moved to Lima, Ohio, and began studying law in 1878. He was admitted to the bar in 1880, and then commenced to practicing law in Lima, Ohio. He served as a Member of the Ohio Democratic State Executive Committee from 1883 to 1885, and as a Judge of the Probate Court of Allen County, Ohio, from February 1882 to October 1886, when he resigned. He then decided to run for a seat in the United States Congress and was elected to succeed United States Representative Charles Marley Anderson (1845-1908), on March 4, 1887. A Member of the Democratic Party, he then served Ohio’s 4th District (Fiftieth Congress and Fifty-First Congresses) in the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1887, to March 3, 1891. He was not a Candidate for renomination in 1890. After his term in the United States Congress expired on March 3, 1891, he was succeeded in office by United States Representative Martin Kissinger Gantz (1862-1916), on March 4, 1891. He lastly served in the position of Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives from December 8, 1891, to August 7, 1893. He retired from public service shortly thereafter. He then continued with his practice of law while also engaging in the real estate business in Prince Georges County, Maryland, and in the Washington, D.C. area until his death.”

Noah and Samuel had two other brothers that served in the Civil War though neither survived. One was Moses F. Yoder (1843-1864) who served in Co. G, 51st OVI with his brother Noah. He was promoted to corporal on 20 June 1864 and then mortally wounded in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. He died on 2 July 1864.

The other brother was Jacob Yoder who served in the 2nd Ohio Light Artillery. As related by the following letter, when on a campaign up the Red River in Louisiana, “Jake” fell out of a boat while assisting wounded soldiers and was drowned on 24 May 1864. The family supposition has always been that he was “dragged under” by an alligator. The official records for the State of Ohio state that Jacob enlisted on 11 January 1864 at the age of 19 and that he “drowned 22 May 1864 at Morganzia, La.”

[Note: The copy of this letter was provided to me for transcription and publication on Spared & Shared by Jeff Schrock.]

Transcription

Berlin, Holmes county, Ohio
June 16, 1864

Dear Brother,

We received your letter containing the awful news last evening and Oh! such sorrow as it brought to our little family. Here we had just finished and mailed our letters to him—Catherine one, and I one—and talked to him of coming home and of the time we would have when he did so. And then in an hour after received your letter. Oh! we just sat down and cried, and then read again, and yet there was not ray of hope that it might be a mistake.

Oh! how I am grieved for his fate! If he would have died on the field of battle, I could have born it, but such an unfortunate accident to take the life of one so young and beloved, so careful and yet so brave, will mar my happiness while I live. It has cast a gloom over our family that will darken every ray of sunshine and happiness the remainder of our lives. When this war is over and we meet again, how can we be happy and see the vacant seat of Jake.

Oh! God! I cannot bear to think of it. Like the dying man, I still hope he lives and that once more I may take him by the hand. Say Jacob! It is hard for a man of my nature to submit to fate. Were it only circumstances, I would brush them though fire and water intervened. But who will battle against fate? Let us submit. But cursed be the water that’s proved his misfortune. Jacob would have made a good man. He was so careful and saving. Nothing would turn him off the right road to honor and distinction. And with all the self reliance of a man of higher birth, he walked on the stage of life. Be careful and tell no one that you suppose he was dragged down by an alligator. You know the world has no sympathy and even might ridicule. Tell them he drowned while bathing with his comrades in the Mississippi. I will have a nice monument put up for him with proper inscriptions &c.

I will now close, Samuel. Yours in great sorrow, — N. W. Yoder