Letter #22 -- Georgetown College Hospital, Washington City -- September 29, 1862

Approximately 4 weeks after his wounding at the Second Battle of Bull Run, John W. Derr sat in a small hospital ward on the campus of Georgetown College (now Georgetown University).  Owing to the large number of wounded that had been produced at the battle of First Bull Run as well as subsequent smaller battles, small hospital wards were popping up all over Washington City.  The most famous of which was the Patent Office in Washington, where tens of thousands of Union soldiers were treated, recuperated...and in some cases...died.  The nation...both north and south...was ill prepared to handle the vast load of wounded soldiers that the war produced.  The initial thoughts of a three month war with all of the glorious heroics of battle, instead turned into a bloody, screaming nightmare.  Washington City...essentially as small sized backwater type town...overnight was turned into a combination armed encampment as well as the largest hospital in the world.   As I stated in prior postings, this human tragedy along with the wounding of his brother, was what drew Walt Whitman to Washington City to serve as a nurse.

As is true in most wars, great benefits resulted from initial tribulations.  Better surgical techniques were developed.  Better doctors...with battlefield training...were produced.  Lesson were learned about hygiene, cleanliness, and sanitation.  Better hospital architectures were designed to add in the recuperation of the wounded and ill.  New techniques in anesthesia, operations, and nutrition were born of the experiences in the Civil War.  We, as Americans, have both our nation and these developments as gifts from our brave soldiers.

In the letter dated September 29, 1862, John has very little to say to his parents.  As you would expect, his letter is primarily to inform his parent that he is healing well and that he is getting better.  This is an interesting letter to me, in so much as it took him an additional four months to recuperate and return to his unit.  As was true of such wounds during the war, the ups and downs of infection and other illness acquired while staying in the hospital wards along side many other sick and dying men, probably contributed to his roller coaster recovery. I find that with what he described as a minor wound taking five months to heal, that his wound was much more serious than he disclosed to his parents.  Additionally, his post war inability to sustain work and his disabilities indicate that this was indeed a very serious wound.  Undoubtedly the initial wound appeared to be minor, with post injury infections and secondary diseases causing further damage to the muscles, tendons and skin on his leg.  However...that was not something to write home to parents.

After his final recovery and return to service John was made the company Wagoner and he spent most of the war driving team between battle line service.  His injured leg made this a better option vs. long marching.  It did not, however, preclude his participation in battles and other operations described in later letters.

The photograph above is a "likeness" taken as some unknown period in the life of John W. Derr.  The original photograph has no date indication.  More than likely it is a post war image, but I include it here as a reference to his image and "likeness" that he mentions in this letter.  I find his interaction in this letter very touching...as he shows his true feelings for his parents.  This is, I imagine, a common emotion felt by many lonely, scared and tired soldiers during all wars.

                                                                                               Georgetown College Hospital

                                                                                                Monday September 29, 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 today and I hope that this few lines will find you in the same.  Further I let you know that I received your letter today and I was very glad to hear from you and to hear that your are all well.  You said that you did get my likeness what I did send home and you would like to know who is to have it.  My Father and Mother are to have it of course.  They are my oldest friends what I have and if you do get a chance to get it in a case you would better do it because it won’t get so dirty and it will cost only 25 cents.  So I must come to a close and say good by this few lines from your dear son.

                                                                                                John W. Derr

Don’t forget to answer soon.  Direct you letter to John W. Derr., Georgetown College Hospital, Ward No. 2, Washington, D.C.

                           

Jim D.

Letter #21 - Georgetown College Hospital, Washington DC - September 7, 1862

As promised...the September 7, 1862 letter....

In my last post, I commemorated the August 29, 1862 battlefield action at Second Bull Run (Manassas).  In this battle, during the thrust by General Reno's men against General Jackson's men at the Unfinished Railroad near Featherbed Road, John W. Derr was wounded.  In the letter written from his hospital bed at Georgetown College hospital in Washington City, Derr tells of the circumstances of his wounding, subsequent actions by his comrades and the rebels, and ultimately his fortunate parole and hospitalization.  During this battle at around 3:00 p.m. on August 29th, many of his friends in Company D., of the 48th PVI were wounded or taken prisoner.  For example, he identifies Joshua Reed, Peter and David Krieger as friends from the Deep Creek area that were wounded. 

John Derr was careful to include in his letter home, the fact that his wound was serious, but that the wound did not include bone injury.  This was critical, because a gunshot wound that damaged the bone, usually resulted in immediate amputation.  The low velocity, high caliber rounds of the era caused a massive shattering of the bone that was impossible to repair using the medical capabilities of the day.  This, however, did not mean that John was out of the woods.  Infection, disease, and neglect could cause compounding and ancillary failures that could claim a soldiers life, and indeed, John was in the hospital for the next 5 months recuperating. 

                                                                                                Georgetown College Hospital

                                                                                                Washington, September the 7 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 not very well now.  I let you know that I am slightly wounded in my leg above the ankle, but it didn’t injure the bone any.  I was wounded August the 29 in the afternoon at about three o’clock or a little after three at what they call Second Bull Run fight.  I was carried off from the field in the hospital form our men.  But then the next day our men had to retreat back and then I was tooked prisoner by the Rebels and they had me for three days.  And then I was Pertroled (Paroled) by our men with a flag of truce and was brought to Washington in the hospital and there I am now.  Now I dares’nt fight anymore until I get exchanged.  There are no more of the Deep Creek boys wounded that I know of but Josua Reed he is slightly wounded, but I don’t know where he is.  And David and Peter Krieger from New Castle they are both slightly wounded.  Peter is shot through the leg above the knee but didn’t hurt the bone, David is shot in the back and they are both with me.  Further I let you know that I will try my very best to get a furlo and come home when my leg gets well.  I hope it will soon get well because it is only a flesh wound and I can nearly walk on it now.  So I don’t have much more to write this time.  So don’t forget to answer this letter as soon as you get this form me.  So I will close letter and say goodbye for this time.

                                                                                                Your respect son,

                                                                                                John W. Derr

Direct your letter to John W. Derr, Georgetown College Hospital, 2^nd Ward, Washington, D.C

Photograph of the "Unfinished Railroad" looking west from the Featherbed Road, Manassas, Virginia.  It was within 100 yards of the picture that John W. Derr was wounded during the assault on Jackson's center line on August 29, 1862.

The Stone House at Route 29 and Route 234 in Manassas, Virginia.  Location John W. Derr was taken after being wounded on August 29, 1862 during his prisoner status.  He was later paroled and sent to Georgetown College Hospital in Washington City.

Pennsylvania ARIAS Civil War soldiers service index card of Joshua Reed, wounded along with John W. Derr at the Second Battle of Bull Run...August 29, 1862.  Reed would survive to be captured later in the war at Pegrams Farm in September 1864.  He was exchanged in March of 1865 in poor health and died two months later at his home in Pennsylvania while convalescing.

The Broad and Cherry Street hospital in Philadelphia, Pa, where John Derr recuperated from December 1862 - January 1863.

Jim D.