Dated “Camp near Louisville Dec. 4 1862.” Addressed to father, J.F. Kreps. 4 pp. in ink on lined paper, 6.75 x 8.25.” Exhibits fold-marks and light smudges on rear page. 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, then transferring to Co. “A”, 67^th Regt. U.S.C.T., 2/24/1864, then transferring again to  Co. “E”, 92^nd U.C.S.T., 7/12/1865, mustering out of service, 12/31/1865. He served exclusively in the western theater and with U.S.C.T. regiments mostly in Louisiana.  His correspondence consists of letters to family, primarily to his father.

In this letter Kreps writes of the regimental delay in leaving Louisville for Nashville and of Louisville camp life in general. Excerpts as follow:

“I wrote to George we expected to leave this week but it is Thursday and there does seem to be preparation…Louisville is very much of a business place, more so than Pittsburg…The wharves are filled with army goods and supplies. The Louisville and Nashville RR has been completed after being torn down by the rebels…The army under Rosecrans will move. I suppose as they an now get supplies without interruptions….

Our orderly Sergt. McCormack went into town and got drunk and ran his horse through streets and was arrested and was sent under provost guard. When the Col. found out he reduced in the ranks and if the officers commanding Regts. were as strict generally there would not be so much drunkenness in the army…I received a letter from Frank [77^th PA] and there is nothing more to than to receive letter from home.” 

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

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!