Letter from Luther Bruen, Nokesville, VA to Augusta Bruen, 1864-04-20
Nokesville Va April 20 64 My Dear Wife Your little box came to hand yesterday. The jelly cake was a little dry, but still very good and was devoured by self + co with great satisfaction. The little cake also were very good. I have been lighting my pipe with the tapers the boys sent and shall find the little cushion quite useful. The yarn was a day too late, as I had got an old woman who lives in the house with us to darn all my stockings. I gave her the yarn as part compensation for her trouble, also some needles, and a piece of jelly cake. My cotton socks have all disappeared but one + so I shall be obliged to wear woolen "until further notice." - When we move I shall try to *send one hand trunk* to Washington, as we are to be very much restricted in transportation, and when we move we shall go ahead for some days unless Robert Lee give us a very strong hint to stop. I think it is highly probable that we shall move very soon - perhaps before this letter reaches you. If we do, it may be that we shall stop a while in the neighborhood of Culpepper before the ground advance is made. There is a rumor in camp, that we are to march on Friday that is the day after tomorrow. This is doubtful altho' we sometimes get our earliest news of movement from such sources. The sick are all being sent to the rear and all sorts of preparations making for an advance, still I do not think we shall be ordered to leave our camp, without further notice. Gen. Grant went to Washington to-day and our Brigade Commander is also away I believe. The army might move while Gen. G. is away tho' we should not have traveled far before he overtook us but I do not think our Brig. would be away officially on the business he is said to be, if we were really going to leave. Robert is still dumb. He will not come down. There are too many guerrillas in the neighborhood to suit his fancy or mine either. Of late they are getting very plenty and very bold. It wouldn't much surprise me any night to awake and find one of the ugly rascals holding his pistol at my head. I sleep so very sound that I am afraid I should not get awake in time to seize my own pistol which I always keep very convenient in case of accidents. I should hate *much above half* to be taken without a chance to make some show of fight, and sincerely hope that won't be my luck. I try to keep up a sharp look out, but long *unclear* has made the men rather careless. #I enclose you $20. - # We don't allow anybody to come into camp now, but I dare say the guerrillas are all very well informed as to our whereabouts. The camp at Kettle Run is a much safer one than this, but I am more pleasant situated here than I should be there and have consequently stayed here. The guerrillas have never attached one of our camps yet and perhaps they think they will lose more than they would gain by such an enterprise. Their game is to pick off stragglers when the opportunity is favorable, but they never have attacked unless they had all the advantages, except when the troop were poor and they knew their character. They will hardly come to try the metal of regular troops unless they can affect a complete surprise. They can scarcely do that with us tho my regiment has been so much *reduced* in one way + another, that #my camp is not so well guarded as I should like to. You see I have nothing to write. It has been very dull here# #times. Yesterday + today the newspaper failed to arrive so completely behind the age. I must try to write Sella another letter before I leave here. Love to all goodbye dearest L.B.B.#
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April 20, 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.6.307
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http://repository.wellesley.edu/mitchill/307
