Letter #31 -- Philadelphia, Pa. -- December 24, 1862

I'd like to say that the letter of December 24th, 1862 was full of Victorian era...Dickensonian splendor, but it is not.  The shortest of all of the letters, this one is a simple acknowledgement to his parents of the receipt of $10.00 in the mail.  Not exactly an insight into 19th century Christmas tradition.  I can only surmise that John had little to say since his last letter on December 20th and more than likely he was a bit depressed and sad at spending another Christmas away from home...in the hospital.

                                                                                                Philadelphia

                                                                                                December the 24 AD 1862

My Dear Father and Mother,

                       

                        Set myself down to write this few lines to you to let you know that I am well at the time this letter leaves me and I hope that this few lines will find you in the same state of good health.   Further I let you know that I got the letter with the 10.00 dollars in and I did answer it which you will have the answer before then.  This few lines from your son.

                                                                                                John W. Derr

Direct as before.

NOTE TO MY READERS REGARDING THE YEAR:

1863

As I wrote about early in this blog, no record of letters written in 1863 survive today.  It is not known whether letters from the year 1863 survived, or if indeed, there were any letters from this period.  However, it appears inconceivable that a prolific letter write, who was as concerned as John W. Derr was about his family and friends and his financial affairs at home, would simply not write home for a year.  On the contrary, the early six months of 1863 which were spent by the 48^th and JWD on provost and guard duty at Lexington, Kentucky probably generated more letters than previously.

Despite this chronological gap of letters, it is possible to draw a fairly accurate picture of his monthly activities and location during 1863 from his muster records and other historical records of the 48^th Regt. Pennsylvania Volunteers.  I will strive to post historical records of the travels of the 48th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry during the period of January 1863 to March of 1864...when the letters resume.  Please stay tuned for more information on this as well as adjacent stories and history of John W. Derr and the folks of Deep Creek, Pennsylvania.  

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year!  Thank you for your support in 2012.

Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and very Happy New Year,

Jim D.

Letter #30 -- Philadelphia, Pa. -- December 20, 1862

The closeness of the Christmas season must have prompted John to write home more often with 3 letters written in less than a week and a half.  Sitting in a Philadelphia hospital 100 miles away from home...so close, yet so far...must have been rather depressing.  The best way to boost his spirits was to write home, and get return letters.

Cured Smoked Sausage

In this letter, John answers his parent's question regarding sending food parcels to him in the hospital as a supplement for the wonderful army hospital food.  Interestingly enough, the response is much as you would expect...."no".  The doctors and nurses were very strict about soldiers eating outside food ostensibly to prevent food poisoning or patients who should not eat at all from doing so.  Food borne illnesses along with general sanitation issues could take a recovering patient to a fatal case of diarrhea in very short order.  However, it is ironic that the lack of modern day sanitation would not be understood in this period of history and food restrictions would be followed.

Liver Pudding

Apples

John refers to apples and to sausage, which in the Pennsylvania German tradition would be smoked and cured leaving it fairly safe to transport and eat later.  Also, he refers to "pudding", which is a term that is still used today in Pennsylvania.  Pudding is a liver ring sausage that is usually mixed with meal and cured.  It has a rather unappealing gray color, but is has a wonderful taste.  My father loves it and I try to buy him a ring whenever I am at the Dutch market.

The last part of the letter is a small note to his younger sister, Elizabeth, who's boyfriend (beau) has been drafted into the war.  He sends her comforting words and sympathizes with her pain.  All-in-all, a touching note from a big brother.

And now...Letter #30....

                                                                                                Philadelphia

                                                                                                December the 20, 1862

My Dear Father and Mother,

                        I take my pen in hand to inform this few lines to you to let you know that I am well at present time and I hope that these few lines will find you in the same state of good health.  Further I let you know that I received your letter and was very glad to hear from you and to hear that you are well at the same time and I received the ten dollars also in the letter last night form Georgetown.  You stated in your letter that I should write to you if I dast (dare) eat any sausage and apples and if so you would send a box to me.  I do let you know that I dast eat anything that I like and I would like to have some pudding and some sausage but you better not send it to me as long as I am in this hospital here for the doctors don’t allow anything to come in here or be fetched in by anybody.  They are very strict here about anything like that.  So you better not send it to me now.  If I am out of the hospital once, then you can send one to me but I am very thankful for your kindness and I am very glad to hear that you haven’t forgot me yet as I hope you never will.  So I don’t know much more to write t o you for this time.  These few lines are from your dear friend or rather son.  Answer this letter soon and don’t forget it.  This from your respectful son.

                                                                                                John W. Derr

My Dear Sister Elizabeth, I am sorry to hear that your boe (beau) is going to war but I wish you would let me know in what Regt. That he is and what company for I would like to write a letter to him or if he is at Fredericksburg it might be very likely that (I) could get to see him for I think I must soon leave the hospital and go to my Regt.  These few lines from your brother John W. Derr.

Direct your letter to the United States Army Hospital, Corner of Broad & Cherry Street, Philadelphia, Ward F.

Jim D.

Letter #29 - Broad Street Hospital, Philadelphia Pa. -- December 16, 1862

A very long gap between this letter and the last one in November.  I suspect John was occupied with getting ready to transit to a rehabilitation hospital in Philadelphia...the Broad Street Hospital...and found little time to write.  It has now been over 3 1/2 months since his wounding...his "flesh wound", and the time it has taken so far to heal, is telling of the nature of his rehabilitation.  I have previously written about the state of soldier care during the Civil War and this is just proof that even a seemingly minor wound, could progress with a devastating result.



John describes his transit from Washington to Philadelphia and the date of his transfer.  December 13, 1862...the same date as the arrival of Walt Whitman at the train station in Washington during his efforts to nurse his wounded brother back to health.  Could they have passed in the train station?  Could Whitman have said a comforting word to a soldier like John W. Derr while passing by?  I guess we'll never know...but it is interesting to contemplate.




The Broad Street Hospital was located at the S.E. corner of Broad and Cherry Streets and opened in February of 1862.  It could accommodate 525 patients.



From Philadelphia in the Civil War (1861-1865) by Frank H. Taylor:

The Broad Street Hospital was opened February 2d, 1862, in 
the old station building of the Philadelphia and Reading Railway 

Company on the site now occupied by the Parkway Building. Branches 
of this hospital were afterward established in the old market house on 
Broad street below Race street and on Cherry street east of Broad 
street. Surgeon John Neill was appointed in charge, his staff including 
Surgeons Thomas Yarrow, Henry Yarrow, Harrison Allen, H. M. Bel- 
lows, Henry Eggleton and Thomas Eggleton; Medical Cadets James 
Tyson, George W. Shields, E. R. Corson, Edward Livezy, J. W. Corson 
and W. R. D. Blackwood. The ladies actively interested in this 

hospital were from the many prominent families then resident near by. 
This hospital was closed when the Mower Hospital was completed but 
was reopened for a short time after the battle of Gettysburg, the surgeon 
then in charge being W. V. Keating.

                                                                                                Broad Street Hospital, Philadelphia

                                                                                                December the 16 1862

My Dear Father,

                        I take my pen in hand to inform this few lines to you to let you know that I am well at present time and I hope that these few lines will find you in the same state of good health.  Further I let you know that I didn’t get that letter yet with them ten dollars which I wrote for.  Now I wish you would let me know whether you didn send it to me or not for I left Georgetown on the 13 of this month and I hadn’t it yet.  Then I now must write to Georgetown for it if you did send it to me. My wound hasn’t healed yet but very near now.  So I must come to a close for this time.  These few lines from your son.  Take the direction on the outside.

                                                                                                John W. Derr

Jim D.

Letter #28 -- Georgetown College Hospital, Washington, DC - November 20, 1862

Camp Parole - Annapolis, Maryland 

Letter #28 is much as the others during John's convalescence at Georgetown College Hospital in Washington.  A short letter...just keeping in touch with the family, and passing along information to them regarding other neighbors in the Deep Creek are.  In this case, John discusses David and Peter Krieger who were both wounded along with John at the Second Battle of Bull Run.  Though I do not have any further information about the circumstances, I assume that David Krieger was both wounded and taken prisoner based on him being sent to the the parole camp in Alexandria.  David Krieger was fortunate to receive a furlough to return home for part of his recuperation from his wounds.  Mary Slotterback is mentioned again in the letters and I am not sure of the relationship between Mary and the Kriegers.

Camp Parole - Annapolis, Maryland

During the early part of the Civil War, the North and the South used the European system of prisoner exchange via parole camps.  This process allowed for the orderly exchange of prisoners on a one-for-one honor system basis.  There were rules regarding the exchange and violations of these rules by either side could result in a collapse of the system and a negative effect on each side's captured soldiers.  Additionally, a collapse of the system would have a devastating effect on the active duty soldier who viewed paroling as a better option than fighting a needless specific battle to the death.  Later in the war, General Grant decided that the North had the advantage of numbers and resources, and decided to end the prisoner exchanges.  While it had the desired affect of attrition, it also helped spawn nightmares such as Libby Prison in Richmond and the infamous Andersonville prison in Georgia.





Below is an excerpt from the Historical Times Encyclopedia of the Civil War -- by Patricia Faust:

Parole of Civil War Prisoners

        Lacking a means for dealing with large numbers of captured troops early in the war, the U.S. and Confederate governments relied on the traditional European system of parole and exchange of prisoners. The terms called for prisoners to give their word not to take up arms against their captors until they were formally exchanged for an enemy captive of equal rank. Parole was supposed to take place within 10 days of capture. Generally it was granted within a few days, especially after a major battle where thousands of troops were involved. Sometimes parolees went home to await notice of their exchange; sometimes they waited near their commands until the paperwork was processed.
        The system grew increasingly complex, cumbersome, and expensive as the war progressed and the number of parolees soared. The prospect of being sent home encouraged many men to allow themselves to be captured in battle or by straggling. Some parolees were permanently lost to she army when they failed to return to their units. Detention camps established by Federal authorities angered parolees, as did attempts to use them as guards, send them west to fight Indians, or give them noncombat assignments. Technically, paroled troops could not be given any duty that would free other soldiers for combat, an interpretation upheld by military courts.
        While paroling was in force, many inequities surfaced in the system. Soldiers assigned to detention camps frequently suffered from shortages of food and clothing and poor sanitation and were victimized by a criminal element among them. The men often became pawns for the governments, officers at one point being denied parole until formally exchanged. Union authorities generally withheld parole and exchange from guerrillas, bushwhackers, and blockade runners, which resulted in retaliatory action by the Confederacy.
        Finally admitting that the war was being prolonged by returning men to the ranks through parole and exchange--which by 1863 was the Confederate army's principal means of maintaining troop strength--Federal authorities severely restricted the program. The alternative, confining captured enemy troops to prison camps, became policy for the 2 belligerents.
Source: "Historical Times Encyclopedia of the Civil War" Edited by Patricia Faust




Letter #27....

                                                                                                Georgetown College Hospital

                                                                                                Washington, D.C. November

                                                                                                The 20^th, 1862

My Dear Father and Mother,

                        I take my pen in hand to inform this few lines to you to let you know that I am well at present time and I hope that this few lines will find you in the same state of good health.  Further I let you know that I received your letter this day and was very glad to hear that you are well at present time and that this few lines did find me in the same.  I am very glad to hear that you draw my money so regular as you do.  Further I let you know that I got paid the day before yesterday and I got paid for 4 months.  Also for July and August September and October and I need it very bad.  But now I must come to a close.  But let Mary M. Slotterback know Peter Krieger went home on a furlo and David is sent to the Perole Camp at Alexandra.  So I am here all alone and don’t know nothing about them.  So I will close my letter by saying goodbye.  Answer soon and don’t forget it.  This few lines from your respectful son.

                                                                                                John W. Derr

Direct your letter as before.

A Thank You to My Ancestors...

THANK YOU!

I am fortunate to live in this great country and to have had ancestors who fought in the various conflicts to keep all of us free.  My tribute today is to my Father, Grandfather, Great Great Grandfathers and my Mother...all of whom contributed directly to supporting our freedom.

Here's my Dad, Donald J. Derr in 1945...A World War II Navy Veteran:

Here's my Grandfather, Robert V. Price...a World War I Army Veteran:

Here's my Great Great Grandfather, John W. Derr...A Civil War Veteran (48th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Co. D):

Here's my other Great Great Grandfather, John Z. Wagner... A Civil War Veteran (55th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Co. E):

And here' my Mom, M. Jane Price...a World War II Victory Farm Volunteer as a teenager:

 

My mom always wanted help the effort during World War II and so as a teenager in High School, she volunteer to work on a Victory Farm in Connecticut for the Summer of 1944.  This quite an adventure for a teenage girl from the coal regions of Pennsylvania.

Victory Farm Volunteers was an organization which recruited teenage boys and girls to work on various farms in support of the war effort during World War II.  My mom, like many teenagers of the time, volunteered to work on farms around the country to provide the "man power" lost when the young men went off to war.  It provide both a level of farm continuity as well as a morale boost on the home front.  My mom would later recount how she worked on a tobacco farm in Connecticut...which later in life she regretted due to the type of crop she helped farm.  However....many troops enjoyed the tobacco produced at that farm and her efforts are...in my opinion...very heroic!

 Thanks,

Jim D.

Letter #27 -- Georgetown College Hospital, Washington DC - November 11, 1862

Letter #27 continues on the discuss of the drafting of John Beaver, a family friend.  John is concerned about the welfare of both Beaver as well as his wife Anna and their children.  To ease the impact of the loss of the husband, father and bread winner on the farm... John's parents sent John's younger brother George over to the Beaver household to help with the chores and day-to-day farm activities.

John mentions the Slotterbach family and his happiness that Mr. Slotterbach and the other "Deep Creek Boys" are in South Carolina, where the fighting is light...comparatively speaking.

***Interesting note is that my other Great Great Grandfather John Z. Wagner was a member of the 55th PVI and was one of the Deep Creek Boys that John Derr mentions....indirectly.

Another interesting reference John makes in this letter is the term "Dutch Paper"

I googled Pennsylvania Dutch remedies and found a website....  http://braucher.webs.com/healingcharms.htm

There I found this Brown Paper charm that was/is used by the Amish/Pennsylvania Dutch...Could this be the Brown Paper that John is referring to?  Something his Mother sent to him to help with the healing process?

Amish Headache Charm

On a piece of brown paper, preferrable the type used for wrapping meats, write the following:

HEADACHE

HEADACH

HEADAC

HEADA

HEAD

HEA

HE

H

Soak the paper in vinegar for three minutes.  When ready, let it drip-dry then place on the head of the individual with the headache.  Lay your hands on the person's head and repeat three times:

Up Jack got and home did trot

As fast as he could caper.

He went to bed to mend his head

With vinegar and brown paper.

Some may notice right away that this charm is actually the sequel to the ever-popular "Jack and Jill" rhyme...

Brown paper and vinegar is an old Amish cure-all, most especially for wounds.  The paper is wetted with vinegar then placed directly on the wound.  This acts as a disinfectant and the brown paper helps the blood clot faster.

And now...Letter #27

                                                                                                Georgetown College Hospital

                                                                                                Ward No. 2, Nov. 11, 1862

My Dear Father and Mother,

                        I take my pen in hand to inform this few lines to you to let you know that I am well at present time and I hope that this few lines will find you in the same state of good health.  Further I let you know that I received your letter yesterday and I was very glad to hear from you and to hear that you are all well.  But I am sorry to hear that John Beaver is drafted for I think that Anna takes it very hard.  But I am glad to hear that you let George go up to her.  That will ease her a good bit.  Dear Father I wish you would let me know whether you did draw my pay for July and August and September and October.  I would like to know whether you did draw it or not for I hain’t been paid anymore since the last of June and I thought maybe you couldn’t draw it at home wither.  So let me know whether you did draw it or not.  Further I let you know that I got that Dutch paper in your letter and I was very glad for it as it may do me some good.  Further I let you know that we had a good snow here the other week but it is all gone now again and it is summer again.  Tell Mrs. Mary Slotterback that I am glad to hear that her husband and all the rest of the Deep Creek boys are so lucky as they are down in South Carolina and that she should let them know that I am well and where I am and that I was wounded but only slightly in the leg.  Now I must bring my letter to a close for this time.  You must excuse my bad writing and all my mistakes.  Answer this letter as soon as you get this from me.  This few lines from your dear and respective son.

                                                                                                John W. Derr

Direct your letter to Georgetown College Hospital, Ward N. 2,  Washington D.C. 

Jim D.

Letter #24 -- Georgetown College Hospital, Washington DC - September 27, 1862

As I discussed in previous posts, there were two "lost" letters that were recently rediscovered.  The first was published a few weeks ago (http://www.jwdletters.com/2012/10/letter-21a-georgetown-college-hospital.html) and was one of the many letters written home from Georgetown College Hospital in September of 1862 while convalesced from his wounds at the Second Battle of Bull Run.

This letter...Letter #24 is much as the others, in so much as, he writes short and specific letters home to inquire about his and his family's affairs.  Unlike today, where a soldier can recuperate in a hospital ward with comrades and some level of entertainment...books, magazines, TV, etc... the Civil War hospital was a different affair.  The nation was ill prepared to deal with the realities of war...wounding, disease, and the dying.   The romantic notion of a heroic war was replaced with the thousands and thousands of the wounded, sick and dying.  Sanitation in the nations capital was abysmal with open sewers, encampments of soldiers, animal stockyards in close quarters, which bred disease and death.

A soldier, such as John, must have felt bored, depressed and lonely waiting for his "minor" wound to heal.  Letter writing and letter receiving was one of his few joys and releases.




Letter #24.....

                                                                                                Georgetown College Hospital

                                                                                                Monday September 27, 1862

My Dear Father and Mother,

                        I take my pencil in hand to inform this few lines to you to let you know that I am very well at present time and I hope that this few lines will find you in the same state of good health.  Further I let you know that I received two letters yesterday that you had wrote to me.  One was wrote in August the 10^th and the other on the 14^th.  And I didn’t get them till yesterday and I was very glad that I got them after all.  Further I let you know that you stated in one of your letters that you didn’t get my likeness what I did send home.  I wish you would let me know whether Francis Dengler got it and they didn’t give it to you or whether it didn’t come home at all.  Had it directed to F. Dengler because mine and Solomon Yarnell was together.   Further I let you know that my leg feel very well this morning.  It begins to heal but it goes rather slow.  But now I guess I must come to a close this time because my pen is out of ink.  Answer this letter with good courage and as soon as you can without much trouble.  This few lines from your dear son.

                                                                                                John W. Derr

Direct your letter to John W. Derr Georgetown College Hospital Ward No. 2  Washington, D.C.

Jim D.