Addressed “Frances and Willy.” Dated “Camp Negley, Nov 30 1861.” Addressed to Frances Willis. 4 pp. in pencil on lined paper, 7.75 x 9.75.” Exhibits fold-marks & slight foxing. Two folded panels on rear page illegible. Else VG. In protective sleeve. Accompanied by documentation.

In this letter, Captain Kreps writes of regimental life at Camp Negley, with a warning for a younger brother. Excerpts as follow:

“John was Lieut. of the Guard yesterday and last night he told me…that there was man in the guard house who was drunk and he got so noisy that they had to buck and gag him and then covered him up but he kicked all the covers off of him and his limbs were froze up to his knees. He is pretty bad now.

There was a man out of our regiment accidently shot some time ago while out on picket. He was taken to the Hospital in Louisville and I heard his I getting better.

Tell Demps [brother Dempsey Kreps] if he don’t write to me and that soon that when I get home that I will give him a good pounding.”

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On 9/28/61, John W. Kreps enlisted as a 1st Lieut. On that date he was commissioned into Co. B, 77th PA Infantry.
Promoted to Captain on 4/12/63. Wounded on 6/25/63 at Liberty Gap, TN; discharged for wounds on 10/29/63. 
Kreps died in 1911 and is buried in West Newton Cemetery in West Newton, Westmoreland County, PA.

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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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