Dated “Camp near Bowling Green Ky Dec. 20 1862.” Addressed to father, J.F. Kreps. 3 pp. in ink on unlined paper, 5 x 8.” Exhibits fold-marks & very fold-line soiling of rear page. Else Vg & entirely legible. In protective sleeve. Accompanied by documentation.

Note: Adams Kreps served in three regiments, mustering first as private in Co. “F”, 15^th PA Cavalry, 8/22/1862. Then transferring w/Lieutenant’s commission into Co. “E,” 67^th Regt. U.S.C.T.,  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 consists of letters to family, primarily to his father.

In this letter Adams Kreps writes of hard march in futile search of Morgan’s Raiders and of dissatisfaction among the regiment about being used and ordered about like “common cavalry.” Excerpts as follow:

“This letter is written wrong, you will have to read the first and then the third [and then the second]…

We arrived at bowling Green of the 15^th…the next morning we had to leave, it was raining so hard…we arrived at place down in the mud. On the evening about 55 of our company were ordered out of a scout looking for Morgan who was reported to be around with his band. They were out three days without seeing him. After they came back the rest of us had to go out. We got started and went all day and night went to a place called Glasgow about 45 miles off and before getting back we had traveled 95 miles which is some pretty fast traveling. I was about as near done out as I ever I was in my life…

This morning we were ordered to saddle and bridle as attack was expected on this place but I think there is no rebels near…there is a great deal of dissatisfaction in the regiment as the men are getting to see they have been humbugged as we have to go in as common cavalry…The great majority of the troop want to be disbanded and have sent on a petition to be disbanded. There was one of mess got a discharge on account of his age being under 21…

We heard of the Battle of Fredericksburg and am very sorry it turned out so disastrously for our army but I hope it is not so bad as reported…This is the poorest letter I ever wrote. You will please excuse it as I was so cold I could hardly write…”

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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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