Civil War Letters of John W. Derr: A Visit to a Distant Relative....

Saturday, January 7, 2012

A Visit to a Distant Relative....

Back on September 10, 2011, I wrote in my posting about Corporal John H. Derr, 48th PVI, company "D". JH Derr was a cousin of JWD and was mentioned in his letter of April, 1862. In my post I mentioned that it was rather sad that this distant relative's grave had probably never been visited by family members due to the difficult nature of travel in the 19th century. I felt compelled to make the relatively short trek to his grave in order to show a level of respect and remembrance due this family member.

Original post of September 10, 2011....

http://www.jwdletters.com/2011/09/john-w-derr-or-john-h-derrohand-thank.html

On December 28, 2011 I got the opportunity to forget about work for a day and travel with my wife to the U.S. National Cemetery in Washington, DC...across from the "Old Soldier's Home"...now called the Soldiers and Airmen's Home. If you ever get a chance to go to this small cemetery, I highly recommend taking the trip. It is dwarfed in comparison to Arlington National Cemetery, but still has the beautiful setting and the care deserved by our national heros.

Below are a few of the photos and a video of my visit. Please excuse the audio quality...the wind started up and so it is of marginal quality.

Jim D.

2 comments:

ThomasThursday, March 29, 2012 at 2:20:00 AM EDT
It is good that a relative had finally made a visit. It is a show of appreciation for the service that they have rendered during the war.

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JWDlettersFriday, September 14, 2012 at 1:20:00 PM EDT
Thank you Thomas and apologies for the lateness of my reply...still figuring out the comment aspects of the blog....
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Welcome

With 2011 being the 150th year since the start of the American Civil War, I thought it would be appropriate for me to share letters written by my great-great grandfather, John W. Derr during the course of the war. I have completed posting each letter on the 150th anniversary of their creation (mostly!). Since Private Derr did not write his letters in a consistent pattern...sometimes there are gaps in time better one letter and the next...This blog includes gap filler with other information relevant to him and his regiment. As I posted each letter, I created a corresponding link on the right side of the webpage to provide easy access and reference as you read each posting. I hope you enjoy the history of this common soldier during the most tumultuous time in our nation's history.

Additionally, I recently completed a long anticipated project by publishing a book "A Widow's Due" in June of 2020. This book is primarily about the life of my Great-great grandmother, Magdalena Diehl Derr, the widow of John W. Derr. It is based on years of research and much documentation, and whereas it is a work of "creative non-fiction", it is accurate and true to the documents and records I was able to find. Please visit my other website relating to the book as well as other upcoming projects at: www.jamespderr.com. Thank you.

Biography of Private John W. Derr

John W. Derr (JWD) was born in Barry Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania on October 7, 1839.

He enlisted in the Union Army in September of 1861 and was mustered into the 48^th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Company D at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg Pa, in that same month. From Harrisburg, the 48^th PVI transitioned through Baltimore, MD and then down the Chesapeake Bay to Fort Monroe in Virginia. From there, the 48^th PVI was attached to the larger Burnsides Expedition to North Carolina (Hatteras/New Berne area). After the North Carolina expedition the 48^th PVI was moved north and participated in the 2^nd battle of Bull Run, where JWD was wounded on August 29^th, 1862 and taken prisoner. He was paroled by the Confederates, and was transported to Georgetown College Hospital in Washington, D.C. After staying in Washington and missing the battles of Antietam and South Mountain, he was transferred to the Cherry and Broad Street hospital in Philadelphia, Pa in December of 1863. He was subsequently furloed home for further recuperation.

His unit was then detached for guard duty in Kentucky and Tennessee, where his unit re-enlisted in December 1863 at Blains Crossroads, TN. In 1864, the 48^th PVI was involved in Grant’s campaigns of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Courthouse, Cold Harbor, etc…and eventually the Petersburg Campaign. JWD, as part of the 48^th PVI was integral in the digging of the Mine Crater. Documentation of his participation in the actual mining activities and subsequent illness from the damp/cold conditions are documented in his post mortem pension application by his widow, Magdalena Derr. Pension affidavits by his fellow soldiers indicate that his participation in the mining activities, along with his wounding at 2^nd Bull Run were the primary cause of his early death in 1876

In addition to his participation in the Petersburg Siege, JWD participated in the 1863 Army review by President Lincoln in Washington, D.C., the Grand Review of 1865 in Washington, D.C.

He was mustered out of the Army in July of 1865 and returned home to live out his remaining short life, dying on January 12, 1876 at age 37.