Letter from Luther Bruen, Nokesville, VA to Augusta Bruen, 1864-02-19
Nokesville Va. Feby 19. 64 My Dear Augusta: Your letter containing the news of the death of Mrs. *Pierce* reached me last night. The sad intelligence was not unexpected to me, as she has seemed very frail for some years. Her death must have been very distressing to the family which has lived thro' so many years without encountering the changes that occur in almost all families in the country. Still they have been blessed with the society of their mother much longer than the rest of us. To lose our mother, so generally our nearest and dearest parent, is always an overwhelming grief, unless extreme age has made the grasshopper a burden and deprived them of the faculties through whose employment and enjoyment life is made desirable or endurable. -- There is little probability of my regiment being ordered to the front. Sometime since we hoped that it would be if a considerable number of the men re-enlisted. Not so large a number as we expected are doing so and if all of them did, I do not think the regt would be permitted to leave this Army. We are getting ready for the Spring campaign, but I imagine it is only for the purpose of not being surprised in case the rebs should initiate operations. If left to ourselves we shall not be likely to make any serious demonstrations before the middle of April or first of May unless the Spring should be unexpectedly favorable. The winter has been very dry with an unusual proportion of warm pleasant weather. Therefore I think we shall have a very wet spring, and the roads may prevent us from making any movements before the first of June. We may be kept guarding the rail road when the army does move, as the Regular Brigade is very small. -- The Secy of War has rescinded the order suspending my pay, so that I shall be able to send you some money as soon as the Payments come down. The order was a perfect farce for the govt. has had no money to pay the troops with since it was issued. It is said now that the paymaster will visit us soon. I hope he will not come for a week yet and then I shall be able to send you a larger supply of greenbacks. I saw Walter Pease to-day, he was at home when Mr. Panck died. By the way, I wish you would apologise to Mr. Ed Davies for my not calling upon him, as I should have done but for the storm, which just allowed me to transact the little business I had to do on Monday. The note yr. Uncle John holds will be paid in March from that you will get enough to paint the fence, and pay the Dr. Johnson Perrine's interest and the extra Life Ins. premium. In the meantime if you want a little spending money cut the coupon from the August 7.30s and sell them -- gold is as dear now as it is likely to be. I see the 7.30s are 10 and 11 per cent premiums, higher than the 5.20s. When they come due, I can get them converted into 6s of 1881 which sell at the same price so I shant lose anything by not converting them into 5.20s. -- Things are as dull as ever and the routine of business is rarely interrupted by #any excitement. -- I don't think it probable that I shall get away from the Army, nor would I ask it, with my pay so small while here. I hope this coming campaign will finish the rebellion, when I hope we shall have better times. Love and kisses to you all from, Luther#
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February 19, 1864
Bruen, Luther Barnett
Nokesville, 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.6.277
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http://repository.wellesley.edu/mitchill/277
