John A. Mitchell, a resident of Springfield, Missouri, enlisted in the 18th Iowa Infantry on August 9, 1863. He was nineteen years old when he joined the service. Mitchell was the son of James and Juley Mitchell. He worked as a farmhand before enlisting in the army. The 18th Iowa Infantry was organized at Clinton, Iowa, and mustered into service on August 6, 1862. Shortly thereafter it moved to Springfield, Missouri, where it operated from until the fall of 1863. The regiment was transferred to Fort Smith, Arkansas, in October 1863. While there it performed garrison duty before being sent south to participate in General Frederick Steele's Camden Expedition. Following the close of that campaign, the regiment returned to Fort Smith. It mustered out at Little Rock on July 20, 1865.
From the description of John A. Mitchell Civil War letters, 1864. (Central Arkansas Library System). WorldCat record id: 212804554
