Dated “Camp near Nashville Dec. 25^th 1862. A double letter written to his parents. 4 pp. in pencil on unlined paper, 5 x 8.” Exhibits fold-marks and light staining. Else VG & entirely legible. In protective sleeve. Accompanied by documentation.

Note: Adam Kreps served in three regiments, mustering first 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, transferring again into Co. “E”, 92^nd U.S.C.T., 7/12/1865, mustering out of service, 12/31/1865. He served exclusively in the western theater and with the U.S.C.T. regiments mostly in Louisiana. His correspondence consists of letters to family, primarily to his father.

In this double letter Kreps writes about the regimental arrival in Nashville and preparations for battle while commenting on the effects of slavery. Excerpts as follow:

“We arrived here and encamped 1 ½ miles from the city in direction of our advance which are about six miles from here. A battle is expected every day. Bragg, Morgan and Price are all concentrating their force and will fight desperately. Our regt. in connection the 7^th Ohio are to be sent forward as pickets so we will have a chance with our carbines which are beginning to get quite rusty on some rebels.

In my travels from Louisville here I did not form a very good opinion of the country or the people and think that wherever slavery exists it stunts the country. It is not half the country free Pennsylvania is. The farther I get from my native state the prouder I am of it”—with a PS from Kreps’ pal Charlie Weller: “Mr. Kreps…As soon as you read this please give it to my father—with compliments—C. Weller…”

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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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