Letter from Luther Bruen, Camp near Bealeton, VA to Augusta Bruen, 1863-12-08
Camp near Bealeton December 8th 63 My Dear Wife: Tho' I wrote you a long letter yesterday giving you an account of my journeyings since I wrote last, I can not let this day, so dear to both of us, pass without at least a line from me. It is now ten years since we cast our lots together for weal or woe. The promises we then made to each other have been well kept, and our married life has been happy beyond that of most people. Our dear little family circle has never been saddened by grim visitor who has desolated the hearth of so many of our neighbors, and only two or three times has he come to the homes of near relatives, whose griefs are almost as bitter as our own. Neither has our little circle been often visited by serious sickness. In hearth and the enjoyment of the reasonable comforts of life we have been especially blessed. In our children, too, we have been favored far beyond our friends *generally*. Four nicer children than ours it will be hard to find any where. (You see, I take it for granted that the little one whom I have not seen will come up to the standard of the others.) I do not think I could have been more fortunate in the choice of a help meet, tho' you might have got a much better husband than I have been, but to have done so I am vain enough to think that you would have been obliged to get somebody outside of Dayton!!! It is a great pity that I should be spending this anniversary in the woods near the Rappahannock, instead of with my wife and little ones at home. What is the reason I don't get any more letters from you? The last was dated Nov. 25th. You must have rec'd two or three from me after that date. I thought you would receive one on the 30th about the time we expecting to make the assault on the enemy's works on Mine Run. Last night, the word came down that there was a large mail at Brigade Head Quarters and I warmed with the expectation of getting some letters from you. But I was sadly disappointed, as there was nothing for me but official communications. In one of my letters, I sent a check for $80 on the *Weitene* Bank Philadelphia, signed by Alderdice, and in another my pay roll for #These two oak leaves, I enclose grew close to the fire I slept by two nights in front of the enemy works on Mine Run# November, and in another the key of my trunk with the request that you would send a copy or two of my photograph. By the way, Stacey tells me that Williamson keeps my picture for sale! He bought one himself. This accounts for one of them being in hands, otherwise, unaccountable. We have had two bitter cold nights. Last night I slept quite comfortable, but yesterday morning I awoke with a very severe pain in my back. It left me, however, very soon after I got up, and has not troubled me since. - I have a chimney built at the side of my tent and can have a good fire all the time. This makes the tent quite comfortable and enables me to read or write in it all the time if I choose. I expect we are going into winter quarters here, tho' there are rumors that the army will fall back to Centreville. Why don't you send me a paper occasionally. Tho' they have little interest for you they *seldom* fail to #contain something new and interesting to me. I hope you will not be so negligent hereafter. If you are I shall have to subscribe for the Journal myself. Love to all Goodbye Dearest L.B.B #
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December 8, 1863
Bruen, Luther Barnett
Bealeton, VA
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.6.257
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http://repository.wellesley.edu/mitchill/257
