Letter from Luther Bruen, Fort Hamilton, NY to Augusta Bruen, 1863-08-19
Fort Hamilton Aug. 19, 1863 My Dear Gussie: I have just rec'd your Sunday and intend to get this to you on time if possible. __ The whirligig has gone round again and I am Comd. Officer once more this morning. Col Edwards' regt was ordered to New York yesterday evening & he went with it. Drafting commenced today and he was sent off to help keep the peace. __ But what do you think? The 12th came off the bay last night and is now encamped on Governor's Island, I suppose. I hope it will be ordered down here so that we may all be together. Now, I will let a small cat out of the bag. On the 10th, I rec'd an order to join my regiment in the field. Capt Blunt who was to relieve me as Supt. of Recruiting, assumed his duties yesterday and I would have been off as soon as I could gather my accounts if it had not been for my lameness. I don't think it would have been prudent for me to go for ten days or two weeks yet, but I would rather go a little too soon than a minute too late. The arrival of the 12th will change the programme but how I can not yet tell. All the other regiments (regulars) have come up and I expect that much of them will stay, but as ours is much the fullest, I think I quite like that it will be ordered back. There is a fair prospect however that it will remain here for five or six weeks, if it takes so long to get through with the conscription. Notwithstanding the 34th Regt has gone away there are still six companies at the port. Four of these are raw but are being let up quite rapidly. *Mr. M Elraths* has gone out of the Fort. Capt Blunt chose their quarters & they were compelled to move into their new house. I don't know whether I ever told you that M E's father had bought the house formerly occupied by Mrs. *Bausorn*. He has fitted up & made some *adorations* & alteration so that it would look very well if it only had a new fence. __ Gen. Brown has been put in Command of Fort Schuyler. I understand he considers it a direct and intended insult. The old fellow lay nose on the grindstone now and I rather enjoy it. I am sorry Howard is sick tho' if he is to be sick at all, it will be much pleasanter, or rather much less unpleasant for him to be sick at home. I trust however, it is nothing serious. If he should become so sick as to not to be able to return at the expiration of his leave, be sure to notify his leave officer of his sickness and send him the certificate of some respectable physician as to his inability to join his *regiment*. Officers often get into unnecessary trouble by neglecting to send the proper proofs of their sickness. __ I expect to have my hay fever in full blast with in a week. __ A very delightful prospect isn't it? Well I shall have to grin and bear it as heretofore. I suspect it won't be much improved or shortened by campaigning in Virginia, if I should have to go down there. It's best I guess to take what comes without any superfluous or prefactory whining. I send you here with a notice I rec'd this week from *Kiensted*. There will be $84 in cash to pay. I will send money enough to pay the amt. by the end of this month & some more besides so that you need not be short of his money. If I go away I shall have to spend considerable on myself, but I shall try to arrange things so that you will have no receiving trouble to plague you, at least while there is in short in the locker. Don't disparage your letters, they are a great comfort to me & #I could read one every day with pleasure and profit. __ I am glad Mary is improving & hope she will soon be much less troublesome. Love to the mischievous boys & the little girls, their grandpa & ma and their aunts and uncles, & most of all to their dear mother. From Luther#
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August 19, 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.6.220
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http://repository.wellesley.edu/mitchill/220
