JUNE 1865 CIVIL WAR LETTER FROM LEBANON, PA RESIDENT JACOB FORNEY KREPS TO SOLDIER SON SERVING IN 67TH REGT. USCT

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Item Code: 945-508

J.F. KREPS TO SON LIEUT. ADAM KREPS, CO. “A”, 67TH REGT. U.S.C.T., serving in Louisiana. Dated “Rostraver Township / June 2, 1865.” 3 pp. in ink on unlined paper. Exhibits fold-marks and slight tear on second page. Else VG & entirely legible. In protective sleeve. Accompanied by documentation.

In this letter father Kreps writes concerning sons Willie & Francis with the 15th PA Cavalry & 77th PA, and advises son Adam to remain with the army til the very end, unless his health is in jeopardy. Excerpts as follow:

“I received a letter for Willie…his regiment has done a great deal of marching and are now perhaps at Nashville…They captured Bragg and he says they would have captured Davis too but for the tardiness of their major as it was two hours behind when captured…”

The 77th is still lying near Nashville. Francis thinks they will be home soon but I am of the opinion the re-enlisted regiments will not be mustered out yet…

I hardly know what advice to give you in reference to getting out of the service. I think perhaps it may be as well to stay several months unless there is danger to your health. The law increasing your pay also provides three months extra pay to those who continue through to the close…

I am of the opinion the oil thing is a swindle…I fear I will suffer a loss in those I have invested in…”

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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 (15th PA Cavalry, 67th Regt. U.S.C.T., 92nd Regt. U.S.C.T. Also letters to son Frank (77th 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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