Letter from Augusta Bruen, Dayton, OH to Luther Bruen, 1861-03-27
Dayton, March 27th 1861
Dear Luther,
I have just read your letter hastily and sent it to Mother. I will get it and read again and enjoy it more leisurely.
I was sorry to see that my good intentions were frustrated in some way or another, I wrote, and put my letter in the office last Friday afternoon hoping and supposing it would reach you Sunday, so you see I am not to blame.
Here I have been expecting you home Friday, Saturday or Sunday at farthest, but your letter of today gives me but little hope of seeing you till next week some time, I dare not think of it or a low spirited time will surely come.
I did not say anything in yesterday's letter about your filing a petition for yourself because I supposed it would do no good then, and did not think you would get the letter.
No one would object to it in the family, providing it would do no harm. I could not help fearing it would make trouble, and perhaps occasion a "protest" the volium of which I thought you could not outlive. I feared it might appear a piece of premeditated duplicity or some thing of the kind, to those who had kindly exerted themselves for Father's benefit. I alluded once before I believe, to the reports that Father was only trying to get it for you.
What Uncle John concluded to do about the telegram I have not heard, he seemed inclined to let you decide for yourself.
As for Nebraska, my dearest, my feelings about leaving my friends are just what they have always been and always must be; I cannot bear to think of that part of the trials at all, yet you must do as you think best, and be assured that hard as it would be to part with them, parting with you would be still worse. My heart is beating fast at the idea of either necessity, but perhaps one can be borne I don't know how it would be with me.
We had a terrible storm last evening; it blew things around and to pieces at a great rate. The fence on the road, at Mother's new place is pretty much all down I believe and trees at Jere's were blown down breaking his fence somewhat.
Kemper's church, also sustained some damages; I don't know the ful extent of mischief done around us but suspect it has been considerable.
Mother and Uncle John are here reading the letter. Uncle says he saw Mr. Craighead and he thought it would not be best for you to file a petition for yourself body, he seemed to think would divide the thing and make it harder to decide; Concluded to leave it to you as you could tell better than he could.
I shall leave off so that Uncle can take it to the Office.
Goodbye darling
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March 27, 1861
Bruen, Augusta Forrer
Dayton, OH
4 pages
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
Bruen, Augusta Forrer -- Correspondence
Catharine Mitchill '31 Collection of Family Letters, Wellesley College Library, Special Collections
MSS.6.15
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http://repository.wellesley.edu/mitchill/15
