Civil War Letters of John W. Derr: March 2018

Sunday, March 11, 2018

Letter #47 -- Camp Near Danville Junction, VA -- April 8, 1865

As the war nears the end, and on the day before General Robert E. Lee surrenders the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox, John is again writing home to his parent to give them an update. An update that but a short two weeks removed from his prior letter of March 26, 1865.

The 48th PVI has now moved from the outskirts of Petersburg, VA to Danville Junction, VA on their way to Farmville, VA in pursuit of Lee's army. This movement was as the result of General Grant's strategic "boxing" of Lee's army to prevent the latter from escaping the inevitable defeat of this Confederate army.

John writes his letter on April 8, 1865 and given the number of confederate prisoners and the rag-tag condition of Lee's army, he is probably aware of the coming end of the war. By now, John is tired of the war and long's to come home. The war has destroyed his body and soul with a continued deterioration of his spirit in his writing. He has suffered through a leg wound at Second Bull Run, and numerous pneumonias starting in 1861. Based on his doctor's analysis after the war and after his death in 1876, John suffered from Rheumatic Carditis as a result of having contracted Rheumatic Fever during the his service in the army. The first instance was in the Fall and Winter of 1861/62 during the 48th PVI deployment to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Subsequent bouts of pneumonia and sickness followed him in 1862, 1863 and in 1864 after his work in the "Crater Mine" at Petersburg.

In his April 8th letter John writes to his parents and his insight is fairly keen. He describes the fall of Petersburg and Richmond and anticipates Lynchburg and Danville's fall soon. At this point he doesn't know that the very next day, Lee would capitulate and the his part of the war would be over. He describes the prisoners (13,000) that he has seen and he is undoubtably happy that war is going the Union way. He is still a teamster, which has served him well after his wounding. He mentions his cousins John D. Weikle and that Weikle is "working on his drate (trade)". I'm not sure what he does, but clearly his parents do.

Camp near Danville Junction, Va.

April 8^th, 1865

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 am still driving team yet and expect to stay at yet a while. I am sorry to hear that Father is sick but I hope till this letter comes to hand that he well again if not sooner. I let you know that I got the shirt today and it was all right. You didn’t say whether you was going to send another one or not but I want you to send me the other one too. We are marching every day and it is very warm all ready. I suppose you know that Petersburg and Richmond is in our hands and Lynchburg and Danville is gone up before long. They are fighting every day but our corps ain’t engaged. They are guarding the wagon train through from Petersburg. Don’t trouble yourselfs about me. I am still driving team and are getting along well. I haven’t been sick since I was at home last spring. I seen John D. Weikle today and he is well too and is working on his drate (trade). We are making great calculations about the war being over till fall and I do think it will come so too. I seen 13,000 rebel prisoners in two weeks time. That looks pretty good to bring the war to a close. I seen the City of Petersburg and come through it. It is a nice place. We didn’t come to Richmond yet but I hope we will come to see it for we was fighting for it long enough. I have no more to write today so I will bring my letter to a close for this time. So this few lines from your son.

John W. Derr

Answer soon and direct your letter as before and let me know how Father is getting along. So goodbye to you all till we see each other again. I got the almanac.

A few years ago, I had a friend who gave me two cobble stones that were thrown out during a repaving of downtown Petersburg, VA. This repaving was done in the 1960s and these stones were eventually carted away as rubble. They apparently had been in place since the 1840s in Petersburg. John describes Petersburg as "a nice place". I wonder if he trod upon these very stones!

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.