FROM J.F. KREPS TO SON LIEUTENANT ADAM KREPS, CO. “A”, 67^TH REGT. U.S.C.T. Dated “West Newton, March 7, 1864.”  3 pp. in ink on unlined paper, 8 x 9.75” Exhibits fold-marks & soiling along rear fold-marks. Else VG & entirely legible. In protective sleeve. Accompanied by documentation.

In this letter Kreps writes of son Adam’s promotion from private to 1^st Lieutenant and his transfer from the 15^th PA Cavalry to the 67^th Regt. U.S.C.T. [a promotion engineered by J.F. Kreps, a Pennsylvania civilian regimental commissioner who had earlier met Gen. Thomas in Chattanooga]. Comment also concerning son Frank in Confederate captivity. Excerpts as follow:

“I hope you will completely successful. I hope that none in the regiment [67^th Regt. U.S.C.T] will excel you…Are the  Sergeants darkies, orderlies and all the non-commissioned officers? Have you received your commission…the should straps [sent] are the ones I bought for John, and he has no use for them, he concluded to send them to you. . I don’t know what he will charge for them. They are as good as new…

We had some word from Frank on Saturday through a letter from Capt. Durham who is in Libby prison. Frank had escaped but was recaptured. As of his letter Feb. 21 he said Frank is in the hospital with a sore lege, but thought he would be about again. In a day or two…I understand there is a prospect for an exchange in a short time…”

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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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