Dated “Camp near Munsfordsville, Ky Dec. 12^th 1862.” Addressed brother Frank Kreps [77^th PA Infantry]. 3 pp in ink on unlined paper, 5 x 8.” Exhibits fold-marks & lightly soiled blank rear page. Else VG ^ entirely legible. In protective sleeve.

Note: Adam Kreps served in three regiments, first mustering as private in Co. “F”, 15^th PA Cavalry, 8/22/1862, then 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 the western theater and with U.S.C.T. regiments mostly in Louisiana. His correspondence consisted of letters to family, primarily his father.

In this letter Kreps informs his brother of the regimental move from Louisville. Excerpts as follow:

“…the country as we get further from Louisville gets very desolate. I had no idea the country was laid to waste such as it is. A person has no idea of the savages of war til he sees the track of an army. Yesterday we passed the burial ground of some soldiers who were killed in a fight between Buells and Braggs cavalry.

I suppose we will have some trouble before we get to Nashville as Morgan is between here and there. Some have it there was 300 while others 800. I don’t think he will attack for he will find fight in this troop which he did not get in those he took prisoner. I hope brother John [77^th PA Infy] will be near Nashville when we get there. I suppose you are very well acquainted with the place where we are camped…”

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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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