Letter from Luther Bruen, Nokesville, VA to Augusta Bruen, 1864-04-01
Nokesville April 1. 64 My Dear Augusta: I rec'd yours of the 27th this evening which contained the first advice I have had of my letters to the politicians. It seems very much more than ten days since I wrote, yet my memorandum book shows me it is but just ten days since my letters were mailed. Had I not lost most of my interest in the subject, I should be annoyed at Robert's conduct, which is wholly unaccountable to me. He has secretiveness I know and sense too, but his conduct in everything he has attempted to do me, so far as it has come to my knowledge, do not indicate much sagacity. There was no necessity for giving the business any publicity whatever, and should I fail to secure the place, the *more* my application was known, the more injurious it would be to me hereafter in any attempt I might make to get another place. But what shall I say of his writing to Schenck? It was a most extraordinary thing for a man in his senses to be guilty of. In my efforts I had aimed to keep all knowledge of my application away from Schenck achieving that he would use all his influence to defeat me altho' he might have no candidate of his own. You may judge of my surprise when I learned that he had written to S. on the subject. I am afraid Robert is not much of a politician or political manager notwithstanding the time he has spent in politics. As I said before I should be much annoyed, if the place had not been deprived of its attractions for my by the amendment of the Senate. I have written all about this in former letters and it is not necessary to expatiate further now. Had the bill been left as it passed the House it is very likely that I should have failed to get the place. I am inclined therefore to be rather better reconciled to the action of the Senate that I should have been to the loss of the place had it lost none of its attractions by legislative action. I think it was the third number of House and Home Papers which I thought showed the writer had about exhausted her subject, -- the second pleased me as much as the first. We are still at Nokesville, but expecting orders to leave every day. Why they don't come we cannot understand. My Brigade Surgeon got his orders to-day the rest of the staff will get them soon. The Head Quarters of our Corps are at Culpepper and we shall be ordered up there as soon as troops can be had to take our place here. It has rained nearly all day, this with the recent bad weather may postpone the movement for some time. I had thought it possible that we might be left here even after the army moved for a short time, but as Gen. Warren is so anxious to get his Corps together I think it altogether unlikely now. The convenience or comfort of troops is not consulted much in army movements. The numbers of the Brigade in our Division have been changed, so that we are the First Brig, Division instead of the Third. Gen. *Griffin* our Division Commander is an Ohio man, and a pretty good officer. Grant is from our state too, so we can indulge in a little state pride, if the campaign should be as successful as we hope. -- I think I mentioned in my last letter that Capt. Putnam has lost a son. I don't remember whether he had more than one. I sent the Commercial to Capt. Pease the day after I received it without noticing the letter you referred to. The paper was a good deal blurred and not pleasant to read. I am ignorant therefore as to what was said about Howard's regiment. If it is interesting I wish you would write what it was. I thought I had read everything in the paper but it seems I missed the most important. I shall try to do better next time. By the way, I have received no paper from you for more than a week. Have you quit sending them. I thought I should be able to send you a remittance in this letter but am not able to do so. I have my pay account made out and intended to go to the Sutler's to get it cashed to-day, but it began to rain and I went on reading my novel. By the way, Mimmack sent me five or six by a soldier returning from furlough. One of them he bought for me at my request, where he picked up all the others, I have no idea. They come in very good play down here where one manages to worry this the stupidest kind of a book. I have read more novels this winter than in any three years for the past dozen. I wish Hannah Thurston had got among us, as I felt like reading it, albeit having no very high opinion of its author. I don't know whether I am particularly stupid to-night, or whether this paper bothers me with its roughness so that I can not rush along currente calamo as has been my wont, but so it is, that I have handily succeeded in filling this sheet. -- Robert I suppose will be in Washington before this reaches you. If he wants to see me, I suspect he will have to come down here, as I doubt whether I shall be allowed to go there. #I could think of nothing to send for, had there been time to communicate with you. You know I have a trunk in Washington and could get most that I want there. My white flannel shirts are shrunk to nothing almost but by dint of vigorous stretching I still get them on and hope to make them last until the weather is warm and to leave them off entirely. Love to you all From Thine L.B.B.# #April 2. It rained all night and is snowing now. My anticipations of a wet season seem in a fair way to be realized.#
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April 1, 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.6.299
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http://repository.wellesley.edu/mitchill/299
