Letter from Luther Bruen, Douglas Hospital, DC to Augusta Bruen, 1864-05-19
Douglas Hospital
May 19 1864
My Dear Wife:
I have passed yesterday + last night quite comfortably. My leg is better and is progressing favorably, and unless inflammation should set in, I shall doubtless get along very well. As the wound is so near the joint, inflammation would probably give me a good deal of trouble + greatly protract my recovery, if nothing more.
On the whole I consider myself quite lucky. It would have been horrible to be left wounded on the ground and burned to death as so many of our poor fellows were during the first day of the fight. I was wounded in my own camp, while urging my men to finish their breastworks, in which they could screen themselves from the enemy's shells which were dropping into the camp rather fast. The poor fellows seemed very anxious to dodge out of the way of the missiles, and as I was driving them out of the rifle-pits so that the men *could* work, I could not have taken any precautions for my own safety. I was riding my horse when the shells first began to come, but after three or four had burst over us, I tho't it as well to dismount, and sent my horse into a ravine where I tho't she wd be safe, - she had scarcely reached the spot designated, when a shell burst within 15 or 20 feet of her, doing her no damage however. I had caused my tent to be put up so that I might write you a letter, as we had been informed that a mail would be sent away that morning. One spherical case shot exploded immediately over it, but no one was injured.
Yesterday afternoon we had a visit from a couple of ladies - They had come to see a Mass. Officer who is in the next room, + stopped in ours a little while because they were dressing his wound. She is acquaintedShe left a handful of flowers with us, in exchange for which I gave her a violet, which I had picked up in Virginia but did not think pretty eno' to send you. with Schenck + I have some curiosity to know who she is. She promised to call again to-day - if she does, I shall try to find out.
Luther + Mart came to see me last evening - they had spent the day in Alexandria. M looks very well. - A regiment of the O.N.G. is said to be in Baltimore; there is one or more regiments here - Did you ever get my April pay account cashed? I expected Robert would do it before he left - but it seems as if he never could do any thing right.
Perhaps I shall be able to write more definitely about my leg to-morrow. Dr Norris came down to look at it yesterday, but did not do so, as the surgeons were all busy with operations. He has promised to come to day.
Good by darling,
L.B. Bruen
#May 19#
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May 19, 1864
Bruen, Luther Barnett
Douglas Hospital, Washington, DC
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.6.320
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http://repository.wellesley.edu/mitchill/318
