Letter from Luther Bruen, Nokesville, VA to Augusta Bruen, 1864-03-10
Nokesville, VA March 10th 64 My Dear Wife, This has been a most dreary, dismal, rainy day, which I suppose to enliven this evening by writing to you. In your last you ask about the insurance on our house. I do not think the policy expires until next year. You have the policy however, and can look at it and ascertain. It would not cost much to renew it, should it be necessary. We received today some very nice celery from Mr. Nokes, and notwithstanding the dreariness of the day had the satisfaction of knowing that we had as fine celery on the table as the President himself. I need not assure you that we enjoyed it exceedingly- none of us having tasted any for some time. As Nokes has sent the celery and documents as he promised, I have some hope that he will send you the flower seeds yet. You should receive the check from Mimmack very soon- write and acknowledge its reception as soon as it comes. Has your Uncle John collected the Ogden note yet? The proceedings of Congress yesterday show that Schenck has introduced his bill for the establishment of a Bureau of Military Justice, and that it passed the House. I am disappointed in its provisions and suppose I have very little of any chance of getting the place. It provides for one Brigadier General and two Colonels. I supposed there would be at least two Lt. Cols. If my chances were difficult and doubtful before, you see they must be more so now. I shall be very sorry, but not much disappointed if get nothing. Perhaps the bill may be amended in the Senate for as to have a Lt. Col. or two; if it should be I shall do all I can to get the place, but without much hope of succeeding, as I am not much of a beggar, and somehow cannot bore people with importunities for my own advancement. The rainy season I have been anticipating for some time appears to have set in at last. We have already had enough to make the roads bad and it is likely they will soon be well nigh impassible. They will certainly be so bad as to prevent military operations for some time, unless we have a spring or extraordinary day as the fall and winter have been. General Grant has arrived at Washington and I suppose will take some weeks to master the situation. During which time the army will be put into condition to make the Spring campaign. I am afraid Grant's star will soon begin to wane. It appears to me to have been a mistake to bring him away from his western army whose confidence he had completely to take charge of all the military operations. He will not be *untrammelled*, and will be awfully bedeviled by the politicians. I do not think him a great military genius by any means. While so far away from Washington and its misfortunate influences he did excellently well. Now comes their time of trial. He will be cried up as demigod as for many have been before #him, but will probably fall into disgrace sooner or later and displaced as Mr. *Calahan* and Hooker and Burnside have been. This is a gloomy view to take of his destiny but I fear it will prove to true.# #I enclose the*caste* of one of the members of my staff; he is a dull foolish fellow but retained his position thus our respect for his father the Col. who first put him on the staff. # #I congratulate Mary on her commissions and hope she will have plenty more. I shall try to send another letter to Sella in my next. #
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March 10, 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.6.286
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http://repository.wellesley.edu/mitchill/286
