Letter #27 -- Georgetown College Hospital, Washington DC - November 11, 1862

Letter #27 continues on the discuss of the drafting of John Beaver, a family friend.  John is concerned about the welfare of both Beaver as well as his wife Anna and their children.  To ease the impact of the loss of the husband, father and bread winner on the farm... John's parents sent John's younger brother George over to the Beaver household to help with the chores and day-to-day farm activities.

John mentions the Slotterbach family and his happiness that Mr. Slotterbach and the other "Deep Creek Boys" are in South Carolina, where the fighting is light...comparatively speaking.

***Interesting note is that my other Great Great Grandfather John Z. Wagner was a member of the 55th PVI and was one of the Deep Creek Boys that John Derr mentions....indirectly.

Another interesting reference John makes in this letter is the term "Dutch Paper"

I googled Pennsylvania Dutch remedies and found a website....  http://braucher.webs.com/healingcharms.htm

There I found this Brown Paper charm that was/is used by the Amish/Pennsylvania Dutch...Could this be the Brown Paper that John is referring to?  Something his Mother sent to him to help with the healing process?

Amish Headache Charm

On a piece of brown paper, preferrable the type used for wrapping meats, write the following:

HEADACHE

HEADACH

HEADAC

HEADA

HEAD

HEA

HE

H

Soak the paper in vinegar for three minutes.  When ready, let it drip-dry then place on the head of the individual with the headache.  Lay your hands on the person's head and repeat three times:

Up Jack got and home did trot

As fast as he could caper.

He went to bed to mend his head

With vinegar and brown paper.

Some may notice right away that this charm is actually the sequel to the ever-popular "Jack and Jill" rhyme...

Brown paper and vinegar is an old Amish cure-all, most especially for wounds.  The paper is wetted with vinegar then placed directly on the wound.  This acts as a disinfectant and the brown paper helps the blood clot faster.

And now...Letter #27

                                                                                                Georgetown College Hospital

                                                                                                Ward No. 2, Nov. 11, 1862

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.  Further I let you know that I received your letter yesterday and I was very glad to hear from you and to hear that you are all well.  But I am sorry to hear that John Beaver is drafted for I think that Anna takes it very hard.  But I am glad to hear that you let George go up to her.  That will ease her a good bit.  Dear Father I wish you would let me know whether you did draw my pay for July and August and September and October.  I would like to know whether you did draw it or not for I hain’t been paid anymore since the last of June and I thought maybe you couldn’t draw it at home wither.  So let me know whether you did draw it or not.  Further I let you know that I got that Dutch paper in your letter and I was very glad for it as it may do me some good.  Further I let you know that we had a good snow here the other week but it is all gone now again and it is summer again.  Tell Mrs. Mary Slotterback that I am glad to hear that her husband and all the rest of the Deep Creek boys are so lucky as they are down in South Carolina and that she should let them know that I am well and where I am and that I was wounded but only slightly in the leg.  Now I must bring my letter to a close for this time.  You must excuse my bad writing and all my mistakes.  Answer this letter as soon as you get this from me.  This few lines from your dear and respective son.

                                                                                                John W. Derr

Direct your letter to Georgetown College Hospital, Ward N. 2,  Washington D.C. 

Jim D.

Letter #7--Hatteras Inlet, Camp Winfield, North Carolina -- February 2, 1862

The letter of February 2, 1862 was written after JWD had recuperated from a long illness.  For seven weeks he suffered from bronchitis and possibly a variant of rheumatic fever.  Though he does not indicate the latter in his prior letters home...subsequent depositions during the pension hearing by his widow Magdalena, indicate that this was the case.   The depositions by fellow members of the 48th PVI describe the conditions that the 48th endured during the initial landings on Hatteras Island in November of 1861.  Fellow soldiers complained about how soldiers waded to shore and remained wet and cold for days after the initial landings.  Not long after the landings, JWD was bedridden with a severe illness that progressed to bronchitis or even possible pneumonia.  As he states, he was off duty for seven weeks.

This letter is a bit more normal, with JWD conveying news to his parents and asking questions about home.  Interestingly he writes to his parents about a letter he received from his Uncle Solomon Weikel...his mother's brother...and how his uncle's family had been sick with the measles.  In the 19th century, measles was a deadly disease and so this information was truly family news!    His reference to "Esther" is interesting to me.  I have not been able to determine who she was and what her relationship was with JWD.  I am only guessing, but I assume she was a girlfriend or a close lady friend.  Clearly, Esther was illiterate, owing to the comments made by him regarding her need to have the letter read. It is also clear that he did not want any personal and intimate words he might write to her to be made public by the reading of a letter.


And now...letter #7...                     


                                                                                    Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina,

                                                                                    Camp Winfield

                                                                                    February the 2^nd, A.D. 1862

My Dear Father,

            I take my pen in hand to inform these few lines to you to let you know that I am well at present time and I hope that these few lines will find you in the same state of good health and further I let you know that I received that letter from you on the 2^nd day of this month and one from Uncle Solomon Weikel.  He wrote to me that he didn’t hear anything from you the whole last summer and I wrote a letter to him and I told him you were all well when I got that letter from you.   Further I will let you know that they were all laying sick with the measles but they are all well again.  When he wrote that letter to me, further I let you know that John Brown and George Batzel are in the war too.  And if Esther wonders why I wouldn’t write to her anymore, tell her that she would have to get her letter read by somebody else and so I have no pleasure to write to her what I would like to write to her.  And she could always hear from me when I write home.  I send my best respects to Slotterbachs family and to the Fetterolfs and to Peter Fetterolf too and to all the rest of the neighbors and tell Mary E. Slotterbach that I was glad to hear from George and Harvey Snyder and William Derr and tell her if she would write to George again she should let him know that I am well and would like it very good so far.  Now I must quit writing because my fingers are too cold and I can’t write no more.  These few lines to you.

                                                                                    John W. Derr 

Jim D.

Letter #6 -- Fort Hatteras, Camp Winfield, North Carolina -- January 16, 1862

The letter of January 16, 1862 is an interesting look into the mood and attitude of JWD where he displays a longing for the comfort of home.   JWD had just received a package from his parents...probably a Christmas package.  Owing to the length of time it took to transport mail and parcels in those days, the food arrived...more or less...in good shape in a few weeks.  After a steady army diet of crackers, coffee, corn, bread, etc..., the package from home was a real treat.   John's parents must have sent certain items to him to convey a sense of home and comfort.  It was a thoughtful package.  JWD reminisces about each item and what they mean to him.  This is one of my favorite letters.  It shows the sentimental side of JWD...a view rarely available to descendants.

                                                                                    Fort Hatteras,

                                                                                    Camp Winfield,

                                                                                    North Carolina,

                                                                                    January the 16, 1862

My Dear Father,

            I take my pencil in hand write these few lines to you to let you know that I am well at present time and I hope that these few lines will find you in the same state of good health.  I wish you would take my Sunday clothes out of my trunk and hang them out in the air every once-in-a-while so that they don’t get moldy.  Further I let you know that I got my box this day while I was writing this letter to you.  I let you know that I got my box in safety.  Everything was nice and clean but the pie as a little moldy but I ate them and didn’t mind it.  And I was very glad to have them.  But I will you the pudding and sausage went like hot cakes.  I let you know that when I eat the chestnuts it reminds me of Christmas and when I see the sausage it reminds me of New Years and when I saw the pie and bread and butter it reminded me of Sunday morning and when I saw the apples it reminded me of Sundays at ten oclock.  Further I will let you know that I was well satisfied at least and I will try to satisfy you too the next pay day my kind mother.  Tell Josiah M. Fetterolf that I would send my best respects to him and to all the rest and the same Slotterbach’s family and to all the rest of the neighbors.  And let Ester know that I am well as present time, and I want you to write a letter to me as soon as you get this from me and let me know whether she is well or not.  Tell Josiah Fetterolf to write a letter to me and he should write a good deal of news to me.  You can show him the directions in this letter.  But now I must come to a close.

                                                                                    So much of your dear son,

                                                                                    John W. Derr

Direction

Direct your letter to John W. Derr, Fort Clarke, Hatteras Inlet, Company “D”, 48^th Regiment, Pa., North Carolina via Fortress Monroe, in care of Capt. William W. Potts.

Jim D.