Dated “Port Hudson March 27^th 1864.” Addressed to “Brother.” 3 pp. in ink on lined paper, 5 x 8.” Exhibits fold-marks. Else VG. In protective sleeve.

Note: Adam Kreps served in three regiments, mustering first as private in Co. “F”, 15^th PA Cavalry, 8/22/1862, transferring with a 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 the 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 letter to a brother, Adam Kreps writes of condition in Port Hudson, comments on the qualities of black troops, and takes note of a rape involving this dismissal of a major. Excerpts as follows:

“This [Port Hudson] is the last place a person would go to for pleasure. It is very level here and the wind blows with dust most all the time…there is no town here at all there being nothing but soldiers…the soldiers are principally black with only three white regiments…

It is a great deal harder work to command a company of blacks than whites for officer have to do everything. These darkies are so dumb. There is few of them that know any thing pertaining to the duties of a soldier. They can’t even take care of their equipment and have to be hunting up their things every day or so…

There was quite a furor here a few days back. A certain Major [Major Alexander Hill, 18^th Regt. Corps D’ Afrique] had his straps and buttons cut off and was sent to the Dry Tortugas for a year. He had committed rape on a colored woman…” [See documentation]

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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]  [ph:L]

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