Letter from Luther Bruen, Camp near Bealeton, VA to Augusta Bruen, 1863-12-26
Camp Near Bealeton Dec. 21st 1863 My dear Augusta: Three weeks ago to-morrow (Sunday) we marched to this camp; to-morrow we march back to the place we left to come here. So you will get no more letters from me from this place, for some time any way. I shall not go with my regiment, but directly to Washington, on a 48 hours leave. I have heard not one word from Robert, but I suspect it's thro' him that this leave was obtained. On the day before Xmas a telegram was sent to our Brigade *Comder* from Gen'l Head Quarters, asking whether I could be spared to go to Washington to execute some deeds. This was done, I suspect, thro' his influence Col. Burbank endorsed it favorably and a leave was sent to me yesterday for 48 hours. So, I shall go to Washington to-morrow and if I can get the consent of the War Office, I shall go to Dayton, before returning to my regiment. I hope also to solve the long mystery about my promotion at the same time. Your letter of the *2nd* reached us last night and a very pleasant Xmas present it was. I hope you received one of the same sent from me, altho' I doubt of your intention of going out to *Jere's* on Xmas eve. I wished many times that I was with you, but having a good deal of writing to do, I kept to work and drove away the blues. I had been holding a Field Officer's court, myself constituting the court and had *tues* twenty eight cases in a day and half. Being about to have it become necessary for us to hurry up my work + lead of the proceedings before going to Washington, so I kept at work pretty steadily + finished this morning. Should I prove successful I shall try to leave Washington for Dayton on Monday night. If I don't succeed in getting the leave I will be able to notify you of my failure in time to prevent you expecting me. I hope to be able to make out a good case however and turn my face westward on Monday evening or Tuesday morning. On second thoughts, I shall hardly be able to get away before Tuesday morning: that would bring me home on Thursday afternoon if I made the connection all through. At any rate I hope to be able to write you a Happy New Year. I think Robert's conduct is very strange and unaccountable except on the supposition that he has not rec'd my letter. He may perhaps have written without the letter coming to my hands. I shall find out, tho' I don't mean to quarrel with him, I think I shall know how to resent such treatment. If he has any influence in Washington, I should like to use it in a project that I have been turning over in my mind; but if he has treated me in this way willfully, I don't think I could ask him to help me, if he had a hundred times more influence now than he ever had. I shall be able to learn what can be done when in Wash. and will write further about it hereafter or all you all when we meet. I wrote to *Gen Chase* who answered that his good word was always at my command but did not give me much encouragement. I shall try to see him and ask him what strings will be the best to pull to effect my object. Good bye dearest, but for a little while I hope LBB. #I shall carry them to Washington + mail it *myself.*#
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December 26, 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.6.264
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http://repository.wellesley.edu/mitchill/264
