FROM J.F. KREPS TO WIFE ELIZA. Dated, “Aug. 17, 1861/ Washington City.” 4 pp. in ink on unlined paper, 8 x 9.75.” Exhibits fold-marks and one or two patches of slight foxing. Else VG and entirely legible. In protective sleeve. Accompanied by documentation.

This letter home was written less than one month after the battle of Bull  Run. Excerpts as follow:

“I went out to the camp [77^th PA] and remained there until today…I found John and the rest of the company well except for the Captain. He has got a large carbuncle on his forehead and is talking of coming home.

The whole country for miles is alive with soldiers and the eyes tired of looking and the ears of hearing the continual moving, and the tramp of soldiers with their wagons & horses & cannon, and the heart becomes sick of the dreadful consequences ahead…”

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Born in 1806 in Lebanon, PA, J.F. Kreps established himself in Greencastle as an enterprising farmer and businessman, moving to West Newton/ Rostraver Township. An ardent Union patriot, Kreps raised troops and money, and served as a civilian Pennsylvania regimental commissioner, spending two months in that capacity visiting PA regiments serving with Gen. Rosecrans’ army at Stones River, TN, in late spring/early summer 1863; also visiting PA Army of the Potomac units in 1864.

He also contributed five sons to the Union army—John, Francis, Adam, William and David Dempsey (with John, Francis and Adam serving as officers), in five different regiments, all of whom would survive, though son John would be severely wounded at Liberty Gap, TN, and son Frank, captured at Chickamauga, would spend 14 months in various Confederate prisons before making an heroic and hair-raising escape from Columbia, S.C., in 1864.

The bulk of the letters in this first family grouping (27 letters dating from August 7, 1861 to July 1864) are from J.F. Kreps to son Adam (15^th PA Cavalry, 67^th Regt. U.S.C.T., 92^nd Regt. U.S.C.T. Also letters to son Frank (77^th PA Infy) and son George, and six to wife Eliza, most of which were written during J.F. Kreps tour of General Rosecrans’ army. Subsequent groups contain letters home from sons Adam, William, John and David Dempsey. Taken as a whole, the Kreps letters present a valuable and fascinating picture of the coming and goings of an American family at war.   [JP]

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