Letter #42 -- Camp Near Petersburg, VA -- November 1, 1864

Yes...this one is being posted after November 1st...however...there is a logic to it.  This part of the letters is pretty much spread out with only three letters between November and February and nearly a two month gap from late November to mid-February.  So...I'm stretching them out a bit.  There are only eight more letters left, including this one.  My mission is almost done and I am a bit saddened by that fact.  That said...there are a few projects I am beginning to develop related to the letters, including a book with the unvarnished letters printed in both original and typed format.  There will be a forward and an explanation of the events of the 48th PVI, but little or nothing of commentary on the letters themselves.  I'll let the reader do their own analysis and conclusion on them.  The second project...long overdue...is a full up novel based on these letters as well as the archival documents regarding the life of John W. Derr.  As I have written in previous posts, his story does not die when he did in 1876 at the early age of 37 years old.  It continued on with his widow, sons and a scandalous family secret that I was able to uncover after being hidden for 75 years.  More on that later...

The letter of November 1, 1864 is a follow-up to a previous thread of correspondence regarding money being loaned to John Kramer.  A few letters back, John directs his father to loan money to Kramer providing that he get from him a promissory note...or bail.  Later John begins to have second thoughts about loaning the money, and tells his father that unless Kramer comes to ask for the money...don't offer it up to him.  Well...it appears that Kramer has indeed come for the money...and John references it here in this letter.



In the previous letter, John had given a fellow comrade, George Artz, $150 to bring home for safe keeping.  This letter confirms that John's father had  indeed received that money.

John is also interested in home life.  He asks what his brothers and father are doing around the farm.  He inquires about his good friend Josiah Fetterolf and whether the butchering season has begun.

John also teases his little brother for not writing and calls him "a little scochmen"...or...Scotsman.  A common term at the time for a person who was thrifty...or cheap!

Lastly, an interesting statement is written by another hand on the letter...it reads:

 “Bidding Dealer, Men & Boys Clothing, Hats, Caps and Fancy Notions opposite H. Adams Hotel, Mr. Samuel Wampole, Battery L, 3^rd Heavy Artillery, Fortress Monroe, Center Street,” and “Elizabeth Weaver but if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your father forgive your trespasses.”

The Samuel Wampole, might be the Samuel he inquires about in this letter.  I am unsure of Elizabeth Weaver or the meaning of the phrase after...

                                                                                                Camp near Petersburg, Va.

                                                                                                November the 1^st, 1864

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.  I received your letter and I was glad to hear that you got my money.  You didn’t write whether Artz brought it there or not.  But I suppose he did else you wouldn’t got it.  It is all right that you gave Kramer the money.  I also got nine postage stamps and the darning needle safe in the letter.  I got no particular to write today so let me know what all the boys and Father are working.  I forgot the direction to Samuel.*  If you got it send it to me and I will write to him.  Let me know how all the folks are getting along around home.  Tell old Fetterolf to write a letter to me for it is near butchering time now again.  Then that is the time for him to write.  So I will bring my letter to a close for this time.  This few lines from your son.

John W. Derr to his Father and Mother

Answer soon and direct your letter as before.  I will put a fine picture in this letter for my brother William, the little Scochmen (Scotsman).  I don’t never hear from him.

                                                                                                John W. Derr

* two notes in someone elses handwriting were included in the letter.  “Bidding Dealer, Men & Boys Clothing, Hats, Caps and Fancy Notions opposite H. Adams Hotel, Mr. Samuel Wampole, Battery L, 3^rd Heavy Artillery, Fortress Monroe, Center Street,” and “Elizabeth Weaver but if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your father forgive your trespasses.”

Jim D.

Letter #41 -- Camp Near Petersburg, VA -- October 6, 1864

The letter of October 6th is a short note home telling his parents to expect money from his comrade George Artz who is coming home on leave along with his other fellow soldier, Solomon Yarnell.  It totals $150.00 which he is naturally concerned about.  Using modern day inflation calculators...$150.00 in 1864 would be equivalent to $2275.50 in today's dollars.

John was fairly diligent about sending money home and so the bounties he received in his first and second enlistment along with normal smaller amounts being sent home during the course of the war, he is naturally interested in how much money he has saved up.  Every $1000 would be worth approximately $15,000 in equivalent dollars today....or 15 times the 1864 face value.

Reverse

Fractional Currency Note owned by John W. Derr

John is also looking for news from home...asking his father what he's been doing around the farm.  At this point, he undoubtable is longing for home.  With the war coming to an end in just 5 months...he must be anticipating getting back to normal life...

                                                                                                Camp near Petersburg, Va.

                                                                                                October the 6^th, 1864

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.  I received your letter with the fifteen dollars in it and now we got paid a couple days back.  And George Artz and Solomon Yarnall went home and I did send 150.00 dollars home with George Artz to give to you.  I want you to let me know whether you got it or not for I wouldn’t like to lose it.  This is all for the present time.  This few lines form me.

                                                                                                J. W. Derr

Answer soon and direct your letter as before.  Please let me know how much money I have got at home in all.  Give my love to all inquiring friends.  J.W. Derr to Peter Derr.  Let me know what you are working at now a while home.

J. Derr

Letter #40 -- Camp Near Petersburg, VA -- September 9, 1864

Letter #40 provides zero insight into strategic or tactical war elements, rather, it is a letter from a common soldier reflecting common life in the army during the war.  John writes home to follow-up on his ongoing discussion about lending money to Kramer, asking for his parents to send him some of his own money, news of a cousin's impending visit home, a broken watch, postage stamps...and a darning needle.  Very common subject matter for a soldier who has spent the last three years in the army.

John is increasingly regretful about having promised Kramer a loan...in fact he indicates that he hopes Kramer never follows-up on the request.  Could he have promised the loan during a time of stress...or perhaps whiskey?  We will never know...but it is clear that he regrets having made the commitment.  He certainly wants a signed promissory note from Kramer to seal any deal that might be made.  He leaves that up to his father.

John missed the paymaster payout for the month...owing more than likely...to his assignment as a wagoner or a teamster.  He was probably on a run with his team, when the paymaster arrived and was certainly disappointed to have missed him.  He is low on cash, and requests that his parents send him some of his savings, until he can get paid.  In researching these letters, and in researching the pension records in the National Archives, there are many muster roles and payouts that were missed by John.  I always wondered why...now I know.  Note the reference again to sending and accepting only "greenbacks"...or money backed by the United States government, vs. local state and county currency.

His friend and comrade Solomon Yarnell was coming back to the Deep Creek area from the battlefield and John took the opportunity to send his broken watch home with him to give to his parents.  There is a possibility that Solomon would take the watch for repairs, but there is no record of that ever happening.

I am not sure who the Catharine is that he mentions in the letter, but his cousin Levi Derr will be furloughed soon and he informs his parents, so they might tell Levi's parents.

The request for a darning needle is pretty common for the era.  People repaired socks when they got a hole in them...and soldiers repaired their own socks in the field.

                                                                                                Camp near Petersburg, Va.

                                                                                                September the 9, 1864

My dear Father and Mother,

            I take the present opportunity 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.  I received your kind letter today and was glad to hear from you and to hear that you was well.  I got that letter with the postage stamps in it but that was the last one until this one.  You wrote that Kramer didn’t come for the money yet and I don’t care if he don’t come at all for it or not.  But if he comes you will give it to him because I promised it to him if he gives you good bail.  I haven’t been paid since I am out.  The regt. was paid and I wasn’t there so I didn’t get paid.  I want you to send me fifteen dollars in the next letter but you must send me “greenbacks” or else I can’t pass it.  And direct your letter right so it won’t get lost and send it as soon as you get this letter from me.  Solomon Yarnall will come home in a couple weeks then I will send my watch home with him and he will give it to you and you will take care of it till I come home or maybe he will come out again then I will get him to fix it and fetch it along again.  But if he don’t come he will let it at home.  I think Catharine hasn’t come home yet or else you would said something about it please and let me know where she is and I will write to her mother.  Put me a darning needle in a letter and send it to me but don’t put it in with money.  Send it in another letter.  I let you know that cousin Levi Derr went home on furlough from here.  It may be that he will come up there.  This is about all for this time.  This few lines from your son.

                                                                                                John W. Derr

Answer soon and direct your letter to John W. Derr, Co. D 48^th Regt. Pa., 1^st Brigade, 2^nd Division, 9^th Army Corps, Washington, D.C.

Jim D.

Letter #39 -- Camp Near Petersburg, VA -- August 17, 1864

Living in the modern world with the benefits of instant communications provides benefits and some drawbacks.  The ability to instantly obtain the answer to a nagging question you might have, or to contact a person, is certainly beneficial.  However...have we become addicted to our devices and have we lost our ability to become disconnected from the world...even for a few hours?   In John W. Derr's time, the pendulum was swung in the opposite direction with the ability to obtain information in a time frame necessary to ease concerns or to interrupt a boring day was...at times...frustrating.  Letter #39 is just one example of this type of frustration seen by many soldiers during the Civil War.  The slowness of the mail system during the 19th century, coupled with the interrupts to delivery caused by the affects of war, made the loneliness and homesickness of the war even greater.

Grave of Henry F. Dengler

Henry F. Dengler ca. 1895

It has been two months since John instructed his father to lend money to a John Kramer.  Additionally, he had requested that a hat be purchased and sent to him from Mr. Dengler (father of Henry F. Dengler from prior letters).  Since his original letters were written on the subject, John has had no word from home.  Repeated letters to home asking about these two requests, have at this point, not been answered.    You can see the frustration in this letter.  Now...I know that he knew that the problem was not with his parents...as they were faithful correspondents to John...rather with the postal system during the war.  We have previous examples of this frustration seen in his other letters.  The ultimate result was a bundle of letters coming from home that had been held up in transit.

It would appear that John is most concerned about the loan he promised John Kramer.  He seems to be having second thoughts about lending him money...which happens when one ponders a decision made over a long period of time...a type of post purchase regret.

                                                                                                Camp near Petersburg, Va.

                                                                                                August 17^th, 1864

My dear Father and Mother,

            I take this present opportunity to write this few lines to you to let you know that I am well at present time and I hope this few lines will find you in the same state of good health.  I would like to know why I don’t get no answer from you.  This is the third letter that I wrote to you and didn’t get no answer yet.  I didn’t get no answer yet from that letter that I wrote to you about the money that John Kramer was going to lend from me.  I wish you would write to me and let me know about it if you got that letter what I wrote to you about it.  And I wrote one to John Kramer about it the same time and I didn’t get no answer yet from him and I also wrote one to Dengler and I told him to send me a hat and  he did so and I never got no letter from him yet since he sent the hat.  I wish you would go there and see what the hat and postage cost and take some of my money and pay him for the hat and let me know in your next letter what the hat cost.  Now don’t forget to write to me if you get this letter and let me know whether you got the letter that I wrote to you about the money that J. Kramer wants to lend from me.  I am afraid things won’t work right about that.  I have no particular news to write today.  I am still driving team and I am well all the time since I am driving.  Give my best respects to sisters and brothers and to all inquiring friends.  So I will close this few lines in hoping to hear soon from you again.  This few lines from your son.

                                                                                                John W. Derr

Answer soon and direct your letter John W. Derr, CoD 48^th Regt Pa., 1^st Brigade, 2^nd Division, 9^th Army Corps, Washington D.C.

Jim D.

Letter #38 -- Camp Near Petersburg, VA -- July 17, 1864

5 Cent Fractional Currency Note from John W. Derr Collection

I'm a day late on this one, but as they say...better late than never.

The digging goes on...and so does the camp life for John W. Derr.  The mine is still in progress with the eventual explosion on July 30th.   Though this letter does not reflect it, John spends his days working in the mine as well as driving team for the dirt removal.



Letter #38 discusses a commitment John made to John Kramer to lend Kramer $200.  He is confirming his verbal commitment to Kramer and tells his father to do the deal, but to get "his note and a good bale" from him.  He has loaned Kramer money before and he directs his father that when he gives him the $200, that if some of the money Kramer paid back in the past was not greenbacks (or gold/silver) that his father should use that money for the loan.

During the war, and prior to the war, there were many varieties of currency printed.  Some was literally not worth the paper it was printed on.  As a result, most only wanted to deal in hard currencies such as gold or silver...and at a minimum..."greenbacks".  Greenbacks were printed by the Federal government and had slightly more trust than local currencies...but not much.  Memories of the old Continental currencies, printed during the Revolutionary War, were still fresh in the minds of Americans.  The Continental currency essentially became worthless after the war and many soldiers of the Revolution held worthless pay.   During the Civil War, many of the soldiers had grandfathers that had fought, so they knew the stories of "bad money".  An earlier letter (Letter #19) illustrates his concern about taking local money.   In that case...Schuylkill money...

http://www.jwdletters.com/2012/08/letter-19-newport-news-virginia-august.html

Confederate $5 Bill from John W. Derr Collection

Confederate $5 Bill from John W. Derr Collection

Civil War Token from John W. Derr Collection

                                                                                                Camp near Petersburg, Va.   

                                                                                                July 17^th, 1864

My Dear Father,

            I take the present opportunity of informing 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.  I let you know that John Kramer ask me to lend him two hundred dollars of my money and I did promise it to him.  So if he comes for it and gives you his note and a good bale (bail) * on it you can give it to him but no sooner than you get the note.  He told me that I need to use only on bail but I will leave that to you.  Or if you don’t know anybody let him put old Reed or Dengler or who you think is best to have on (it).  And if he paid you any money that ain’t greenbacks give him that and see that you won’t get cheated.  It is more trouble than it is worth but still I have to do it.  I have no more to write for this time so I will bring my letter to a close.  This few lines from your son.

                                                                                                John W. Derr

Answer soon and direct your letter as before.

*It appears that the term bail as used in this letter was, during this period of time, synonymous with our current use of the term co-signer.           

Jim D.

Letter #37 -- Camp Near Petersburg, VA -- July 13, 1864

In July of 1864, John W. Derr would give insight into one of the most (in)famous battles of the Civil War.  Outside of Petersburg, Va, and during a stalemate in what would become the newest of battlefield tactics...trench warfare...officers of the 48th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry regiment devised a scheme to break the lines of the enemy.  The plan consisted of tunneling under the lines of the enemy and filling the resulting chamber with black powder...exploding the black powder...and thus undermining the lines of the enemy.  While the plan was good and the engineering was revolutionary...the follow-up attack was a disaster resulting in a failure of the union army to rout the enemy.

During the digging of what became known as "the Petersburg Mine", men of the 48th PVI spent over a month using knowledge obtained from coal mining in the anthracite regions of Pennsylvania to develop an effective mine tunnel under the Confederate lines.  It would later be filled with black powder and on July 30, 1864, exploded resulting in the famous Civil War "Battle of the Crater".  John was part of this mining effort and the letter below is a precursor to the execution of the attack.

I find this letter extremely fascinating and it provides an insight to the man and the effort.  It also gives me connection to the battle, whenever I visit the Petersburg National Battlefield Park.  Additionally, his bit of humor in the closing gives me a feel for the man...

"G.D. the mules they shake too much I can’t write anymore."

John would die a young man in 1876 at age 37.  Depositions provided in the widow pension application reference both his wounds received in battle, as well as his service in digging the mine.

*This is an uncensored reference in advance of the mining and preparation for the upcoming explosion which did occur on July 30, 1864 and resulted in the famous Petersburg “crater” and the breeching of the Confederate lines.  The 48^th Pa. conceived the plan for the mining and destruction of these fortifications; however, an otherwise brilliant plan deteriorated into a debacle when, after the successful detonation of explosives and breeching of fortifications, failed to follow up forcefully with the scheduled infantry attack (Depositions from Official Records (O.R.) indicated that J.W. Derr was actually more involved in the undermining than he indicated in this letter- See deposition of Sgt Otto Bodo, dated June 23, 1880).

                                                                                                Camp near Petersburg, Va.           

                                                                                                July 13^th, 1864

My Dear Father and Mother,

            I take the present opportunity 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.  I received your letter today and I was very glad to hear that you are well all the time and I am happy that I can say the same.  I am also glad to hear that you got my money and I hope you will take good care of it, as you did before.  And if we don’t soon get paid I will be very apt to send for some of it but I hope we will soon get paid off.  We don’t need much money, but I want some once in a while.  I suppose you took good care that you got my pay all in good money for I wouldn’t like to have any bad money for I have to work hard for it.  We hear that the rebels are making a raid into Pennsylvania again but I hope it will be to their sorrow.  I hope they will lose more men then they did last summer at Gettysburg and they didn’t gain much that time by all appearances.  It is for no use to write anything to you about the war for you know more at home then we do out here for we do hear very little but what we see.  But I will let you know that we will have a great explosion here before very long.  We are going to blow up the rebels forts.  They are undermining them now.  They have two or three all ready now and our regiment is working at one and they are near done with it and I hope it will work all right, if they get it going. *

            I have no more to write today so I will bring these few lines to a close for this time with the intention of hearing from you soon again.  So I will remain your affectionate son.

                                                                                                John W. Derr

Answer soon and direct your letter as before.  Give my love to my brothers and sisters and to all inquiring friends.  Tell Josiah Fetterolf if he wouldn’t write a letter to me I would pin his nose up on his forehead.  G.D. the mules they shake too much I can’t write anymore.

Pension Deposition of Sgt. Otto Bodo referencing JWD's participation in the mine

Jim D.

Letter #36 - Camp 8 Miles from City Point, VA -- July 1, 1864

I decided to delay publishing Letter #36 until closer to the 4th of July.  The reason is that this letter has a very nice reference to Independence Day and how the men of the 48th planned to celebrate.  The war...now in it's third year...was more than most of these men had anticipated.  As a result, any opportunity to celebrate or bond with the cause of the Union was enjoyed.  Especially...as John indicates...where that celebration would be done in front of the rebels.  Essentially...shoving the celebration in the traitorous faces of the enemy.







Letter #36 contains the normal discussions regarding his money, stamps, as well as a belated thank you for butter and sausage that his parents had sent back to him via his cousin John D. Weikel.  Weikel is mentioned in previous letters as having been missing in battle, but later we find out that he is well and returns to the regiment.

During my many years of research on these letters, this particular letter had confounded both myself and my father.  In the letter John references his "Dear Wife".  For the longest time, we both thought that he had been married during the war.  We now know, through further research, that he was not married at this time.  He was apparently trying to be humorous by saying "if I want to write to my Dear Wife or somebody else's wife"...his version of randy humor.

John also talks about how they are under fire day and night "under the bullets and shells"...so it was a difficult and dangerous during this particular letter writing.   His reference to this year's 4th of July celebrations and one from the prior year (during their provost duty in Lexington, Kentucky, are highlighted in this letter.  That is why I wanted to save it for closer to the 4th of July.  "This fourth of July we will celebrate with the roaring of cannon and muskets along the lines of battle.  While we had fine times of it last year, we was eating and drinking as much as we liked and what we would like.  But that is all over and gone."

 Again...a very interesting letter.

                                                                                                Camp 8 miles from City Point, Va

                                                                                                July 1^st, 1864

My Dear Father,

            I take the present opportunity to write 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.  I received your letter yesterday and was very glad to hear from you and to hear that you was all well and I am glad that I am the same when this letter leaves me.  I always forget to tell you that I got them things what you did send with John Weikle, the sausage and butter, but I did get it safe when he came back.  I will also enclose 50 cents in this letter and will send it to you and I want you to buy me some postage stamps and send them to me in your next letter for I am entirely out of them and I want to write to the girls sometimes.  Then I must have some stamps to put on my letters and also if I want to write to my Dear Wife or somebody else’s wife.  I think that is enough for this time of that subject.  I think you are busy at making hay at home till this letter comes to hand.  Well we are laying out here under the bullets and shells every day and night.  But we are still enjoying ourselves well and are hoping that we may soon be with you at home and enjoy ourselves with the and this cruel war be over.  This fourth of July we will celebrate with the roaring of cannon and muskets along the lines of battle.  While we had fine times of it last year, we was eating and drinking as much as we liked and what we would like.  But that is all over and gone.  But this hand (ain’t) over yet today, but it will till this letter comes to your hands.  I wish you wouldn’t forget to see John Kramer about that money what I wrote to you in my other letter and let me know about it.  I have to bring my letter to a close for this time.  This few lines from your son.

                                                                                                John W. Derr

Answer soon and direct to J.W. Derr, Co. D, 48^th Regt Pa, 1^st Brigade, 2^nd Division, 9^th Army Corps, Washington, D.C.

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Jim D.