Letter from Luther Bruen, Camp near Bealeton, VA to Augusta Bruen, 1863-12-22
Near Bealeton Va. Dec. 22. 1863 My Dear Wife: Yours of the 16th + 17th was rec'd last evening. I am glad you have at least got some of my letters, for I was beginning to get discouraged. Several of yours must have miscarried, as I never rec'd any acknowledging the check or the key. You say the trunk was open - did anything appear to be taken out of it? It was just as full as it could possibly be crammed. All my Retained papers were in it I hope they have not been lost, and yet they must be, or you would certainly have found more paper *in* than the one you sent. It is of no consequence now however, as I have obtained from the Department sufficient data for making up my Return for the *Third* Quarter. I have also obtained duplicates of all the receipts I lost at Tompkins Square. my Return for the Third Quarter has been sent in + I shall have no difficulty in making up my Return for the Fourth which will pretty nearly * a quite* 'clean my papers.' You have not told me yet whether you had got the money on my Pay Account, but as you complain that you will hardly have funds sufficient to pay the taxes. If you had got these cashed I don't think you would have been complaining of a scarcity of cash. Write me immediately upon the receipt of this whether you have got my pay or not; if not, or if there is any difficulty about it, keep the pay account in your possession and I will get the money here + bring or send it on to you. I sent the account because it was the easiest way of sending money to you, and the check because we expected to have a fight and I did not wish to be killed or taken prisoner with so much money on my person. Besides, I did not wish to leave this *sublunary* sphere a creditor of Uncle Sam, because he makes a great deal of trouble about paying his honest debts to one's heirs + executors. It is well enough that you have paid the Life Insurance Interest, as I can get it returned in case I am ordered out of the field, or perhaps if we remain in winter quarters here for the next three months, as we will in all probability. I intended to write you to this effect before, but it escaped me. I am very sorry I cannot be with you + the children and our friends during the coming holidays. Better luck next time, I hope. I shall apply for a leave immediately after New Year but shall not be able to get away for three or four days after. I will get as long a leave as possible, but you must not be surprised nor disappointed, if I am only able to stay with you eight or nine days. I shall try hard to get the privilege of asking for an extension but am not sanguine that it will be granted. - The Journal came to hand and was very welcome. I got a good deal of news from it, so you can keep on sending them, as well as a Cinti paper occasionally - It started painful reminiscences to see an advertisement of a firm announcing themselves as successors to Springer + *Whitman*. Love to all, good by Dear Wife LBB #I send you a piece of pine taken from the pine hut which I had built while bivouacked across the road to *Sed Vendieville ?* and in which slept on the night of Nov. 27th 1863#
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December 22, 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.6.263
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http://repository.wellesley.edu/mitchill/263
