Civil War Letters of John W. Derr: Letter #24 -- Georgetown College Hospital, Washington DC

Saturday, November 10, 2012

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.

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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.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

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

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