Letter from Luther Bruen, Fort Hamilton, NY to Augusta Bruen, 1863-07-05
No 15 Fort Hamilton July 5. 1863 My Dear Wife: Yesterday was a day of commotion. In the first place it was the Fourth and we celebrated it; then the news was good which rejoiced us all; but right smack in the middle of all our fun came an order for the two batteries to proceed to Harrisburgh. Poor Harrison was to be married in ten days, so he trotted the Chaplain up to Stamper's and was married any how. Piper had something of the same sort to do, but he didn't get married. DuPont had gone home to attend his sister's funeral, and received the order just as they were starting to the grave. He got the order about 11 o'clock AM yesterday and reached here this morning at 1 o'clock. The batteries went up to New York yesterday afternoon and stayed there until about midnight, but as there was no chance of getting transportation they returned. Harrison started a little ahead and got down about twelve. The batteries succeeded in getting away from New York about two o'clock this afternoon. The fort as you may imagine looks desolate enough, for besides losing the batteries, Capt. Putnam's company went to Sandy Hook yesterday morning. Lt. Stacey went along. So there are no troops here but the volunteers, and no officers but Col. Burke, McElrath and myself. McElrath is every thing Post and Regimental *Fort* and Quarter Master Adj., Asst. Ad. Gen. Officer of the day and C.F.C. *Mrs. M E.* has gone to Milford Pennsylvania. Capt. Putnam is very much disgusted with his port. There is no place where he can drill his men, the Hook being nothing but loose sand, into which you sink up to your ankles at every step. Nobody lives there but laborers on the Fort. The Capt. thinks he is going to have a most dull and dismal time of it, and it is very likely he will. He is on a Court Martial which meets here on Friday so that he will get away and leave. Poor Stacey will left to fight the mosquitoes and sand flies alone. We had a very gay party at the Boarding House last night. There were five or six dozen chinese lanterns hung in the trees; we had a fine display of fire works and danced till midnight, the music being by a part of Dodsworth's band. All the ladies were up to see the fire works and most of them danced the evening through. All the officers but Col. B. and myself went up to Fen. Brown's just after the salute was fired. I was visited but did not mean to go, altho', he had spoken to me yesterday morning for the first time for a long while. I concluded however, if he would come into my quarters and take a glass of wine, I would go up to his house. The old fellow wouldn't do it tho' so I stayed at home. Two of our boarders played a game of billiards for a case of champagne to be drank in my quarters on the Fourth. That's how I came to have wine. I don't like it well enough to buy it, nor have I any money to spend on such fooleries. The day was a very pleasant one and passed off without anything disagreeable occurring. Capt. Bernie was in my quarters this morning with his little guy, about three and a half years old with hair much like Robbie's and *born* in much the same manner. He was a very nice little fellow and sang the Star Spangled Banner very well. Of course I didn't think of my dear little ones at home. I have some notion of taking McElrath's quarters when he goes out of the fort. What do you think? If you should ever come back it would be just the thing for us. They have been painted since you went away; with the casemate Capt. Putnam occupied we should have more room and greater conveniences than we had here. *M E.* has not been slow to make himself comfortable. -- This is the third letter I have written on this kind of paper, in the first two I sent $20 each. Don't forget to say whether it comes to hand. #I have had no letter since that you wrote in pencil the Sunday after your confinement. I shall keep this letter open therefore until the next mail arrives. -- The mail is in and no letter. What can be the matter. I can't feel glad to think how *must* be rejoicing over the good news from Meade's army. If our success is followed up on I believe it will be the Rebellion will at last have its *back* broken. Good by dearest. Love and kisses to all. Ever Thine, LBB#
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July 5, 1863
Bruen, Luther Barnett
Fort Hamilton, NY
4 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.6.207
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http://repository.wellesley.edu/mitchill/207
