1863: John A. Van Leuven to his Mother

This letter was written by 18 year-old John A. Van Leuven of Albany, New York, who enlisted as a private to serve nine months in Co. D, 177th New York Infantry on 10 October 1862. He mustered out with the company on 10 September 1863.

I could not find an image of John but here is one of Pvt. Abram M. Corhart of Co. C, 177th New York Volunteers (LOC)

In his letter, John tells his mother about the skirmish he participated in at the strategically important railroad town of Ponchatoula in March 1863. While the main body of troops sailed across Lake Maurepas and proceeded up the Tickfaw River to Ponchatoula, the boys of the 177th New York, joined by members of the 165th New York, the 14th and 24th Maine, and the 6th Michigan trudged their way through the swamps by way of the New Orleans, Jackson & Great Northern Railroad tracks, part of the way in a hard rain and the rest under a hot sun. Their objective was to wrestle the town from rebel control and disrupt railroad traffic by destroying one or two railroad bridges.

John’s account reveals that only two members of his company were wounded in the skirmish that occurred in attempted to destroy the railroad bridge some two miles beyond the town. A single bullet, it seems, not only passed through the right shoulder of their First Sergeant, Peter Stalker, but lodged in the shoulder of their captain, James Dodds. Returning to Ponchatoula—whose resident population had largely vacated the town upon the approach of the Union troops—the boys of the 177th found that the 6th Michigan (and probably other regiments later) had totally “ravished” the town. The doors and windows of home and stores were open wide and furniture, books, photographs, papers, and women’s clothing lay in the streets. One Union officer of the 8th Michigan claimed his Colonel, Thomas Scott Clark, was as guilty as anyone: “As our commander has abandoned himself to plunder with patriotism equal to that of the worst soldier, every man follows suit,” he wrote. [See The Battle of Ponchatoula by Ron Soodalter.]

In the 1860 US Census, John was enumerated as a 16 year-old “clerk” in the household of his father, John Van Leuven, a 40 year-old drayman, and his 39 year-old mother Mary in Albany’s 10th Ward. John was the oldest of at least 7 children born to the couple. At the time of John’s enlistment in October 1862, he was described as blue-eyed, light haired “artist” who stood 5 and half feet tall.

[My thanks to Ann Melichar for providing me with a first draft of this transcription.]

Transcription

DeSair [Louisiana]
March 30, 1863

Dear  Mother, 

I take this opportunity of writing you these few lines to you hoping to find you all in good health as I am also in the  same state of health. I received your kind and welcome letter of the 6th which gave me a great deal of pleasure to hear that you are all enjoying good health. I am sorry to hear that you have not received my money yet. When you receive it, I want you to send me some money as I am entirely out and without money you cannot get along very well. I am glad you have heard from Father. When you write, I want you to send him my love. I am sorry to hear Mrs. St. John is sick and also the children. I would like to know what is the matter with them. 

We have had a pretty rough time since I wrote last. On last Sunday [24 March 1863], we got orders to join the 6th Michigan and 165th New York and two companies [14th and 24th] out of the Maine regiments and march thirty miles up the railroad to take the town of Ponchatoula. When we arrived there, the Rebels had just skedaddled into the woods and left us in general possession of the town.

While we were resting, our company and the two Maine companies under command of Captain Trass. got orders to march up the railroad and burn the bridge across the creek. When we approached the bridge, the Rebels—being concealed on the other side of the bridge—commenced firing on us. We had to fall into the woods where we got behind the trees and returned the fire. The Captain [James Dodds], seeing them commencing to give way, gave orders to fall in, ready to charge bayonets, when a ball struck the Orderly Sergeant [Peter M. Stalker] ¹ in the right shoulder and went through and lodged in the Captain’s right shoulder. We then fell back and we[re] reinforced by the 6th Michigan whom we left to burn the bridge which they had destroyed by daylight the next day.

The next morning the Rebels commenced a heavy fire on the Michigan boys. After we left we came to the town and rested there all day and got orders to march out of town that evening which we done and encamped on the railroad track about 5 miles from town. We left the next day at dawn. We came along the railroad to within 6 miles of camp at a place called DeSair where we expect to stay for a while. 

We are all enjoying good health and our Captain and Sergeant are getting along finely. They are in the New Orleans Hospital. Dear Mother, I wish you would write oftener for I have only received two letters and one paper since I left and I have wrote five or six letters and I wish you would send me some papers for it does me good to hear some Albany news. I would like a couple of Ledgers. Give my love to Uncle John and  Aunt Margaret and Mrs. Brown and all enquiring friends. No more from your loving and affectionate son, — John A. Van Leuven

Write as soon as you get this.

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¹ First Sergeant Peter M. Stalker of Albany was 21 years old when he enlisted in Co. D, 177th New York Volunteers. His shoulder would proved to be fatal. He died on 18 July 1863 at a hospital in Bonnet Carre, Louisiana.

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