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Octave Bruso Diary: Week of July 17, 1864

Note: This is one week’s worth of diary entries of Octave Bruso, who participated in the Siege of Petersburg as a member of the 50th New York Engineers.1

Sunday July 17, 1864

Warm but Windy. Very long and lonesome day. Went to camp at night. Received 16 Packs Env. 15 Qrs (Editor: unclear) of Paper. 62 cts. Postage. Received my Tobacco by mail. Comfortable night.

Monday July 18, 1864

Cloudy, cool + pleasant. Received a letter from my wife and one from John C. Henry. Wrote to my wife and to John C. Henry. Went to camp in the evening. Rained a little at night.

Tuesday July 19, 1864:

Rain in the morning and forenoon. Stopped raining at 2 P.M. Rained again during the night. In camp all day.

Wednesday July 20, 1864:

Warm day. Recieved a letter from my wife. Wrote to my wife. Went to camp in the forenoon.

Thursday July 21, 1864:

Beautiful day. Recieved a letter from my wife with some Pills. Sick! Wrote to my wife. Recieved my stockings by mail. Went to Camp with my Tools at 2 P.M.

Friday July 22, 1864:

Pleasent day. Went to City Point in the afternoon. Met (Editor: unclear) all of our Boys, Lt. Roosa and Fred Bonneville (sic). (Editor, scratched through: “Started back in the forenoon.”)

Saturday July 23, 1864:

Pleasent day. Left City Point at 8 A.M. Took dinner with Lt. McNaught. Left for home at one P.M. arrived at 3 P.M. Received 3 letters. One from my Wife. One from home and one from my Uncle.

Source:

  1. “1864 Diary of Private Octave Bruso, 50th NY Engineers, Company E” edited by Tom Bauerle, Buffalo, NY, 2010.
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