Date “Camp Allabamma  Aug. 24^th 1862.” Addressed to his mother Eliza. 2 pp. in pencil on unlined paper. 7.525 x 9.625” Exhibits fold-marks, else VG and entirely legible. In protective sleeve. Accompanied by documentation.

Note: Adam Kreps served in three regiments, first mustering as private in Co. “F”, 15^th PA CAVALRY, 8/22/1862, transferring with Lieutenant’s commission into Co. “A”, 67^th Regt. U.S.C.T., 2/24/1864, then transferring again into Co. “E”, 92^nd Regt. U.S.C.T., 7/12/1865, mustering out of service, 12/31/1865. He served exclusively in western regiments and with U.S.C.T. regiments mostly in Louisiana. His correspondence consists of letters to family, primarily to his father.

In this letter, his first letter home as a soldier, Kreps writes of his arrival at “Camp Allabamma” in Carlisle.,  and of his messmates and meeting his brother Frank [77^th PA Infy] and of the list of things he wants his mother to send. Excerpts as follow:

“We are in camp on the outskirts of town near the barracks. The first night we slept in the barracks the reason of this was that the tent poles were not here.  We were mustered into the United States service on last evening. There is about 550 men in camp and as fine a looking lot of men I suppose to be seen in the service. Ward the man I enlisted under says we will go ahead of the New York 7^th. I was very glad to see Frank was in Camp. When I heard  he was I couldn’t wait til I’d seen him.

I would like you to send me some socks and a pair of mitts knit as I suppose we will need them…we expect to be here about six weeks…”

----------------------------------------------

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]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

FOR OUR POLICIES AND TERMS,

CLICK ON ‘CONTACT US’ AT THE TOP OF ANY PAGE ON THE SITE,

THEN ON ‘LAYAWAY POLICY’.

THANK YOU!