Altered Focus: The "Real" Story

I have not updated this blog in many, many months.   I have been preoccupied developing the "creative non-fiction" book that I am writing relating to John W. Derr and his life.  I say "relating" because my initial focus for the storyline was on him...his life...his service and his sad decline and death at an early age.  However as I worked the normal due diligence of write such a book, I found that the real story lies with his wife...my great-great grandmother...Magdalena Derr, and her struggles after the death of John.  While John's life in the war was unique and interesting...Magdalena's was truly compelling.  It has afforded me the opportunity to better understand my family roots.  How so?  Over the years my focus had been on John and his service during the Civil War.  This was natural, since I have the letters that he wrote home to his family during that conflict.  The benefit of the letters is obvious, in so much as I can understand what the man was thinking on any particular letter-writing day during the war.  Frankly, that was the easy part, and it was somewhat lazy of me to rely only on these letters to define my ancestors...my heritage.  However...the real story lies with his wife Magdalena, who in 1876 at the young age of twenty-four, became a widow with two sons aged two and three years old.  Penniless, spouse-less, homeless...this strong woman managed to figure out how to get by in life.  A lesson for all of us.  A pride that I had for my Civil War ancestor, soon transitioned to his less talked about wife...my 19th century hero!

We tend to focus quite a bit on the men of the Civil War...the soldiers.  Less focus is place on those who were left at home and who struggled to live and cope.  In the case of Magdalena, her husband's war death came in a delayed fashion...eleven years after the end of the war...but a war casualty just the same.  If you have been following my blog, you will know that John suffered from a variety of problems during the war.  Early in his service he contracted rheumatic fever during a bout of bronchitis.  He was wounded in the leg at the second battle of Bull Run and taken prisoner.  He suffered another life threatening bout of pneumonia during the siege of Petersburg.  All of these elements had a life altering, and shortening affect on him...from which he never fully recovered.  Dying in 1876 at age 37, with "Rheumatic Carditis" being his ultimate enemy.

My novel has taken a different branch in the road.  It now focuses on my great-great grandmother, Mary Magdalena Diehl Derr and her survival instincts that allowed her to raise her family...and to love again.  It has taken quite a bit of research to get the full view of her life.  Each little documentary gem that I have found brings me closer to a woman who I never met and for whom I have no photographs.

The project started in 1988 when I happened to talk to a gentleman with a mutual interest in Civil War ancestry.  He told me that the general public was allowed to access records of their ancestor's service via the National Archives in Washington, D.C..  Since I lived in the Metro D.C. area, I excitedly made the trek to national mall to visit the archives.  I was already familiar with John W. Derr's service, but not so much for other ancestors who had served.  I asked my father and mother about our family history regarding the civil war and they gave me information about ancestors, regiments, etc...that I could use to retrieve the respective records of these men.   Armed with a list of men and a Metro fare card, I made my way to the archives.  The process of getting a researcher card as well as a Xerox payment card for any records that I wished to copy, was easy.   I submitted my records requests and in less than an hour, I had the records of four different ancestors who had fought during the war.   Three of the folders measured approximately one inch thick and contained general muster rolls, pension applications, affidavits, etc...  However, one of the folders was approximately six inches thick, containing the same artifacts as the others, but with a twist...many more affidavits and government documents.  I became intrigued with this and began reading and what had been planned to be a two hour copying session, turned into an eight hour reading and copying marathon!

Growing up I spent many hours talking history with my father.  Both of us had a keen passion for history, especially how it related to our ancestors.  The letters of John W. Derr had sparked that interest in him...as it had in me.  I remember as a young boy, my father telling me that the family had a deep dark secret that nobody, still living, knew.  I was always curious about this "deep dark secret".  Unfortunately, with the death of my grandfather in 1970, that secret had gone with him to his grave.  Our family was a typical one from the 1960s and 1970s, with no controversy or issues, so the the thought of a "never spoken about" secret being in the family history was exciting!

The eight hour marathon reading and copying session at the archives had revealed to me just what that family secret contained.  I hurriedly made my way back to the Metro station, and on the way I stopped to call my father from a pay phone.  When he answered the phone I said "I know the family secret!".  Over the next few weeks, he and I spent hours upon hours poring over the copied documents in order to piece together the full story...A story from which my book is based...



Jim D.

Documents, Thoughts and Apologies

Ok...I've been very negligent with the blog over the last 3 weeks.  I was on vacation in England and in India, but to be perfectly honest, I had internet access at both places and decided to be lazy.  I'm finding the that longer I go between posts, the tougher it is to stay focused, get inspired and get excited.  This happened over the last 3 weeks as I had kind of a writers block trying to decide how to organize this blog.  The general layout is fine...e.g...publishing the letters on the same day 150 years after they were first penned by John W. Derr (JWD), but the real challenge is to put some context around the letters and the man.  This is the so called "putty" in the story which is a lot more challenging to construct and organize.

My last post revolved around various affidavits that were submitted by family members and fellow soldiers in the 48th PVI.   I plan to post more of those documents in the future.  They will be timed to correspond with the events they describe.  For example, the pension depositions by fellow soldiers in the 48th PVI regarding the digging of the Petersburg Mine, that resulted in the Battle of the Crater in July of 1864, will be accompanied by a letter written by JWD just before the explosion occurred.  In that letter, which had no censorship, he describes how "there will be a great explosion" and how they are undermining the rebel lines.  This be my overall approach to the design of the blog.  The "putty" posts in between letters will put other documents, thoughts and comments into play as backup and context filler.

For this week, I plan to present some of the many documents I have that are part of the pension application process pursued by JWD's wife, Magdalena.  The more I delve into these documents, the more fortunate I feel that I am to still have them in my possession.  They are an invaluable asset in the development of this project.


It was common for war veterans and veteran widows to obtain a copy of the subject soldier's discharge orders.  Many times original discharge papers were lost or destroyed in the course of returning home from the war and so it was necessary to obtain copies from Washington, DC.  I can't imagine how long that must have taken, especially after the pension law was passed in the late 1870s and hundreds of the thousands of soldiers and widows applied for copies of discharge papers, as well as the actual pensions.

In this case, the discharge certificate copy was requested in 1909 by JWD's wife, Magdalena, a full 33 years after his death and nearly 30 years after the pension was first issued to her.  The reason for this will become clear later in this 4 year project when I show the overall battle she had with the pension board...one she fought to her dying days...and part of our family's "secret".

Discharge Copy #1 showing JWD's service from 1861-1863

Discharge Copy #2 showing JWD's service from 1863-1865

Pension Certificate for Soldier JWD to support Magdalena Derr and her sons

George W. Derr...son of JWD and Magdalena and my Great-Grandfather

Bull Run and John Derr

With the 150th anniversary of the 1st Battle of Bull Run, and with all of the events and festivities in the Washington D.C. area, I thought I'd reflect a bit on this battle and the subsequent battle in August of 1862 (2nd Battle of Bull Run) and their effects on John.

After the initial wave of 90 day "First Defenders'" enlistment had expired and after the 1st Battle of Bull Run there was a sense in the North that the war would not be as quick and romantic as originally anticipated.  A new wave of recruitment and enlistments began in July of 1861, which fielded many more men and a series of regimental reorganizations.  Those that had been in the initial "First Defenders" wave and re-upped their enlistment, were mostly reorganized into newly formed regiments.  Though John was not part of the first wave of enlistments, I believe he was influenced by neighbors and friends who were part of the "First Defenders", as well as the disastrous events of 1st Bull Run.  His first few letters show a man who was ready for adventure and caught up in the wave of patriotism.

I am excited and a bit impatient to share the 2nd Bull Run letter with all of you.  It is probably my favorite and is filled with information that has given me many hours of very satisfying research.  During this battle, as part of the 48th, he was wounded, taken prisoner and eventually paroled.  This short letter provides subsequent clues, links and questions that I have been researching for years.  Fortunately, with the internet, the research activities are much easier and more accessible that when I started this project many years ago.

Back in the 1980's I spent some time at the National Archives photocopying John's military and pension records along with other Civil War ancestors.  If you are ever inclined to do a project such as this, the Archives is essential.  I have found more information that provides more links and clues, than anything else.  For example, in John's case, his widow's pension request from 1878, provides affidavits from family, friends, and fellow soldiers.  It has allowed me to understand better the character and condition of the man who was my great great grandfather.

Last night, I sat down and re-read the pension application affidavits.   There were numerous signed documents from fellow soldiers attesting to the character of John.  Some of them were very touching.

Below, I share a few of these documents....

Affidavit from fellow soldier Pvt. Henry F. Gottshall Company "D" 48th PVI

Affidavit from fellow soldier and cousin Pvt. Daniel Derr Company "D" 48th PVI

Jim D.