Letter from Luther Bruen, Nokesville, VA to Augusta Bruen, 1864-04-27
Nokesville April 27. 64 My Dear Wife: We rec'd our orders to move up to Catlett's as soon as we are relieved, this evening. We shall probably remain there a day or two and then go on to Rappahannock Station, and then in a few days, move on to Culpepper, and then move on when and whither Gen. Grant may direct. We shall hardly begin the movement for a week or perhaps ten days or two weeks yet. It seems I was mistaken about The Bureau of Military Justice bill. It has not passed yet. The House has disagreed to the Senate announcements and a Com. of Conference has been asked for and granted. They will probably agree upon something and put it *thro* in a hurry. I shall be very likely to hear nothing more about it until I learn that somebody else has been lucky enough to get the place. Nothing from Robert yet. I suppose he is waiting for the passage of the bill and possibly is so occupied by affairs that more nearly concern himself as to be unable to pay much attention to my business. Well, it won't trouble me much for the next few weeks. -- No letter from you to-day. I sent you a note to accompany some wild-flowers, to commemorate the camp where I have spent the winter. All I had to say about them was said in the note. The day before I sent a letter to Sella, and thinking it would make the little maiden prize it more, I directed it to her. So she will have the pleasure of getting a letter all to herself for the first time in her life. Enclosed, I send a three cent piece which I think you had better give to little Mary, as I have never given her anything yet. By the way, I want you to get her picture taken and send me one, my family collection being incomplete. She is about as old as our other children were when they were first daguerreotyped. 28th -- We had a storm last night the course of which the wind changed around to the north and it has cleared off quite cold. It is doubtful whether we get away from here to-day; we shall not stay more than a day or two longer I think, in any event. The wet weather I have been anticipating this month has not set in, altho there was a good deal of rain early in the month. If May shd prove as pleasant as the latter part of April has been, the coming campaign will not be attended by so many hardships as our other Spring campaigns have been. -- What is the matter with *Odlin* Speice? You speak as if I knew all about him, whereas I know nothing. Has he been hurt? Egbert is with the regiment and acting as Adjutant. He is not near as good an officer as Coates whom I am very anxious to get back. I hope his foot will allow him to come as I can't get along without him very well. E. is careless, and self-conceited, has no business habits, is smarter than C. but is not so useful an officer. C. is active and enterprising, E. lazy and indifferent; one takes care of himself; the other wants to be taken care of. Mimmack is a good deal like Coates, but better acquainted with papers. If Coates returns I shall let E. go away, if he can get a staff position. Did I tell you that I intended to take what things I can't carry to Luther Brady. I shall leave a small box and my small valise with *Cha* and Webber, the telegraph operator at Nokesville to hand to Luther to whom I have written what I design to do. My best uniform coat is in the valise but there is nothing particularly valuable in either package. So you need not worry if they are lost. When I came into the field last fall I had three cents in my pockets. I carried them until a short time before I went home, when I lost two of them. While there, Robbie one day was playing with a few, when I showed him mine, telling him that was all I had. He immediately proposed to give me all he had, but I suggested that he should give one to me and one to Frank, who also had one, and we should all have two. This he did immediately and seemed very much pleased with the arrangement. I intended to give him mine before I came away, but forgot to do it, and they are still in my pocket. You may imagine those two cents are considerably above par in my estimation. I hoped to get a letter from you yesterday acknowledging the receipt of that $50, but none came. Perhaps I shall have better luck today. Have you got Herbert Spencer's book yet? I suppose not as you have not mentioned it. Neither have I got Hannah Thurston, nor do I expect to now. Robert is a very careless fellow pretty destitute of sentiment and without appreciation of these little courtesies, which we prize so much, from those we love. #I think I shall opportunities to write you pretty regularly for a week or two yet. After that my letters will necessarily be some what irregularly. Of course I shall relieve your anxiety by writing as often as I can, but you will have to resign yourself to a very irregular and unsatisfactory correspondence. Good bye, my dear one Ever thine L.B.B.#
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April 27, 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.6.311
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http://repository.wellesley.edu/mitchill/311
