Letter from Luther Bruen, Nokesville, VA to Augusta Bruen, 1864-03-15
Nokesville Va March 15 64 My Dear Wife I am about to try the experiment of writing you a letter before breakfast which although it is now eight, I do not expect to sit down to much before nine. I received your's and Sella's letters on Sunday. Tell her I am very much pleased at the progress she has made in writing and hope her next letter will show an equal progress but not be quite so long in coming. I had mailed an other to her on Saturday. Tell John Howard he is a mean man and if he doesn't write me soon I mean to disown him and never call him uncle again! He has never written me a word since I was home, while he might just as well as not, have written me a half dozen short ones full of the town gossip which seldom reaches yon. Have you sold the coupons on the 7.30 ? If not you had better do so while gold is up - also the coupons on the 5 20 bonds if any are due. There is no use in keeping them after they become payable, so if you have not sold them as I advised you to some weeks since, do so at once and let me know how much you get. They are worth nearly two times more than their face - which makes a very fair interest. Who did the aquarium belong to; if to mother you should buy her another. The good *levant* was not the cook, so the hash is as good as ever. By the way, we have a machine for making hash which would be found very useful in any family, namely a small sausage-cutter(patent). It cut the meat very small and evenly and as it works it with a crank it saves a good deal of labor, besides improving the hash. It could also be used for making mince-meat, a job I used to be *profane* over when a very small boy. Hash by the way has got to be quite a favorite dish with me, as my teeth are getting so poor that it is troublesome to masticate even the tenderest bits of beef, the tough I altogether es chew! Yesterday I went to call on some Pennsylvania ladies at the camp of the next regiment towards the 12th, towards Alexandria. We did not find them at home nor the officers we expected to see. They had all gone up to Bristow Station, to attend a grand flag presentation and review. We rode on up and found them in the midst of a dinner, with plenty to eat and drink. I was ushered in and provided with a seat at the head of the table, but before I reached it I was toasted and called in for a speech, and being unknown to nearly every one at the dinner, you may well imagine that I was decidedly embarrassed. However, I made a few remarks before I sat down, and imbibing a cigar, quietly listened to the Pennsylvania bravely celebrating their own prowess. They said some very complimentary things of us regulars and Col Fisher after lauding us to the skies expressed his ardent desire to be standing shoulder to shoulder with me when I was shot! Wasn't that delightful. We came back to *drive* about 7 P.M. My A.A.A.G being in a glorious state of "partial intoxication" as we say over here when one gets badly fuddled. #Well this ante-breakfast epistle is about done and no call What delightful *matriliinal* exercise yet. As we all got to bed quite early I don't quite understand it. I am up and I shall foil you by writing so many letters, as you may soon begin to think yourself a badly abused wife if you don't get one everyday. Love to all Goodbye darling, Thine L.B.B#
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March 15, 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.6.288
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http://repository.wellesley.edu/mitchill/288
