FROM J.F. KREBS TO SON LIEUT. ADAM KREPS, CO. “A’, 67^TH REGT. U.S.C.T., serving in Louisiana. Dated “West Newton, Sept. 6, 1864.” 4 pp. in ink on lined paper, 8 x 10.” Exhibits fold-marks, and soiling along rear-page fold-marks. Else VG and entirely legible. In protective sleeve. In this letter father Kreps writes about draft bounties and mention the army activities of sons Frank, Dempsey & Willie, along with new of Sherman at Atlanta. Excerpts as follow:

“There is considerable excitement over the call for troops…They are giving five to six hundred dollars bounty, though the price has declined since Sherman’s success at Atlanta…It is reported he has taken forty thousand prisoners though I suppose there is nothing to it…

“I have not rec’d a letter from you nor have we heard from Francis [Confederate prisoner]…I received one from Dempsey [77^th PA recruit] a few days since, they had arrived safe in Chattanooga…

Willie has not yet gone to the Army but is still talking about it. He went to Pittsburgh to go as a substitute provided he could get a thousand dollars but was only offered 700 an so came home. He is now talking of volunteering and going on bard a gun boat on the Mississippi. He can get $500 local but I do knot know if he will go yet…”

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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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