FROM J.F. KREPS TO SON LIEUT. ADAM KREPS, CO “A”, 67^TH REGT. U.S.C.T., serving in Louisiana. Dated “West Newton, June 21 1864. 3 pp. in ink online paper, 8 x 10”. Exhibits fold-marks and lightly faded ink while remaining entirely legible. In protective sleeve. Accompanied by documentation.

In this letter father Kreps comments on Grant’s “Overland” campaign and Sherman and his Confederate prisoner son Frank. Also his failed political campaign for state assembly. Excerpts as follow:

“My assembly defeat may attributed perhaps to the fact that there was another candidate from this side of the county and that I did very little canvassing.

I have had not letter from Frank…Since the movement of Grant’s army I did not know where he was until I seen by the Richmond paper that the [Union] officers were all in Macon Georgia. Oh! I would be glad if this war was over and I could see my dear ones.

The Army in Virginia has not yet succeeded in conquering Lee’s Army and capturing Richmond---I think that if all communications are cut sought as they are said to be or soon will be, there will be no choice left Lee but to come out and attack Grant…There has been no special word from Grant or Sherman for a few days but I do pray that God will give them great success…

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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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