Letter from Luther Bruen, Washington, DC to Augusta Bruen, 1861-03-25
Washington March 25th
/61
Are't you ashamed of yourself, you naughty, darling little woman? Yesterday I hoped to get a letter; but I didn't; this morning I expected one; and this evening I felt as "sure as could be" that I would have one; but there was no letter from the dearest little woman in the world for me. Now what do you think I ought to do? What wouldn't I be justified in doing? The most desperatest thing imaginable would be perfectly excusable under these harrowing circumstances. So as you would write to me I will write to you & make you read a great long letter written in my most crabbed and unreadable hand every time the mail comes in. Would you get sick of it tho' - would you wish you had written to me once in a while!
I have heard but little about our P.O. to day. Somebody, I don't know who, was boring the President about it, but did not get much satisfaction. _ I saw Mr. Chase but he had not yet had an opportunity to talk with the PM Gen about it. Mr Schenck will be here tomorrow and I presume *willing* to have it deposed of immediately whether he will succeed remains to be seen. I rather wish something would turn up to delay him a day or two as we are not so well prepared to meet him now, if he should take sides against Mr. F. as we should be by Thrusday. At least I hope to receive some letter from John Howard by that time which will materially strengthen one position. It seems to me he has had time to receive and answer some I have written requesting him to get and forward certain letters, but thus far I have only received one from him written by Stick Sullivan. I don't know what to make of it & if I do not receive some tomorrow I shall think he is disposed to let the matter go without making any further effort.
Tuesday Morning 26th
Yours, dear wife, of the 22nd reached me this morning & you may be assured I read it with great "guss" to, after my two days fast. I also rec'd two from John H. with letters from Kenny & Lewett. One letter he speaks of as containing several letters has not reached me yet_ perhaps it will come along today or tomorrow.
Mr Schenck did not arrive this morning as was expected, or that is my opinion now. A Mr Ballard who came on from Xenia says he was not on the train, at least he did not see him as he would have been likely to do in a twenty six hour ride. There is a Cabinet meeting called for 9 o'clock this morning which will probably last a good part of the day_ so that there will not be much chance to work till tomorrow. _ The Second Asst P. M. Gen is coming to baord where I do today. He is an old friend of my roommate and I expect to get on the blind side of him immediately, and I hope to be able to make him useful. _ I am very anxious to hear from home. You speak of a "proposition" I made in my letter but John H. makes no allusion to it in his, I don't remember what you refer to. Hereafter in answering my letters please give the date of the last one received, I will then be better able to understand you. _
If Mr. Schenck comes here in the mood he was in at Dayton & goes off at once to New York, the disposition of the P.O. will be pretty much in Chase's hands, tho Sherman will unquestionably have a voice in it. If this proves to be the case, it seems to me that if I do not file an application, the P. O. will go to Denny or Green, or Comly the last not having much chance. I don't feel like doing this upon my own responsibility, and if I do not hear positively from John soon.
I have very comfortable quarters. Gen *Clacke* and I have a large parlor and bedroom on the second story, very well furnished. We have a piano (very much out of tune) a guitar (several strings missing) and there are four pictures (decidely dandy), sofa, dressing bureau, wardrobe, &c. &c. All very comfortable. When we board around the corner with an old couple, very clever, Vermonters but after the Ritter sort, only more intelligent and refined, who give us plenty of good things. We have fellow-boarders, two Senators, six or seven members, the recently appointed Consul to London, who got the place Gen Schouler was after & which I was very sorry he did not get. By the way I got, yesterday, a very good letter from him in favor of Mr F. appointment, in which he says that the P.M.G. if he knew Mr F. as well as he does, he would not hesitate to appoint him. That in all the six years he lived in Ohio, who in every particular way so good and true as Mr F. _ I wrote to Mr Erving last week, but have received no answer yet. I will ascertain tomorrow whether Gen. Dennison's letter has been rec'd by the P.M.G. & whether it is on file. I want this to go by this afternoon's mail, but I shall keep it open as along as I can to say whether I get a telegram from John H. _
I have just learned that the Papers for the Dayton P.O. have been made up & that Ashley of Toledo a member, has declared that Denny shall have it. _ Schenck has telegraphed that he will be here at five o'clock. I must write a letter to Mr Chase & get it into his hands this afternoon. So I will write no more now.
Good bye, dearest,
Luther
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March 25, 1861
Bruen, Luther Barnett
Washington, DC
7 pages
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
Bruen, Luther Barnett -- Correspondence
Catharine Mitchill '31 Collection of Family Letters, Wellesley College Library, Special Collections
MSS.6.150
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http://repository.wellesley.edu/mitchill/150
