AN ENDING AND A BEGINNING

John Lapham Bullis's letter to "Mrs. Dr. A. R. Bullis" on February 19, 1865 was written "On the Field, with the 118th Col. Inf."  He wrote that he had lately joined the regiment with his detachment from
Dutch Gap to prepare for the spring campaign and added that he was busy building quarters "in camp to right of Fort Brady. Previous to Dutch Gap quite a stirring up by Rebel Fleet in our midst. Reb. gunboat Drury blew up."

The end of his Civil War experience brought to John Lapham Bullis the beginning of a new career on the Frontier. In his May 25, 1865 letter home from Camp Lincoln, Virginia, he wrote that he was expecting to move south soon to Texas.  What followed was a military career that distinguished him as a brilliant leader and earned him the rank of Brigadier General (although he would continue to be known as "Johnnie" to the folks back in Macedon.)

JLB: CIVIL WAR EYEWITNESS

Through eyewitness accounts in his letters, we can follow John Lapham Bullis’s Civil War experiences as a young recruit who quickly became a seasoned soldier.  He was the latter when he wrote from Annapolis, Maryland on July 2, 1864:

“Waiting transp. to Army Potomac.  Year ago at Gettysburg, warm, and we were taking a doublequick for a Barn that was changing hands often on that memorable time.”

Three months later, September 19, 1864, he wrote “on the Ohio River Steamboat Grey Eagle on Ohio bound for Louisville. Soldiers have Measles.” 

His November 20, 1864 letter came from “Hqs. Co. A. 118^th Inf. near Richmond, Va,” and he relayed that he had come from Kentucky and had now been in about 14 states.

From Macedon to Harpers Ferry to Gettysburg and Libby Prison. Then on to Annapolis, Philadelphia, Louisville, Richmond, crossing “about 14 states” within two years. How much more he could have told us of those times. However, we are grateful for this limited glimpse into a Civil War soldier's personal observations and thoughts.

Next week we'll post excerpts from his last two Civil War letters that are in our archives.

AUDELS MASONS AND BUILDERS GUIDE

Our January 8 and January 15, 2009 postings focused on a set of books in the Bullis collection, Audels Carpenters and Builder Guide, published by Theo. Audel Co. , copyrighted in 1929, 1933, 1945,  and reprinted in 1948. Now two years later another set of books with Audels in the title  “showed up” on the Bullis Room’s round table, and volunteers immediately began poring over their pages.

The motto, “By Hammer and Hand All Things Do Stand,” heads up each title page of this four-volume set. The complete title is: Audels Masons and Builders Guide,  A Practical Illustrated Trade Assistant on Modern Construction for Bricklayers-Stone Masons-Cement Workers-Plasterers and Tile Setters...” written by Frank D. Graham-Chief and Thomas J. Emery-Associate. This set was copyrighted in 1924 and 1945 by Theo Audel & Co., New York.

The books are subtitled:

1 – Brick Work: Brick Laying, Bonding, Designs

2 – Brick Foundations: Arches, Tile, Setting, Estimating

3 – Concrete: Mixing, Placing Forms, Reinforced, Stucco

4 – Plastering, Stone Masonry, Steel Construction, Blue Prints

 Book 1’s first chapter gives an interesting history of the art of brick making, pointing out that sun dried or adobe brick “were used thousands of years before the earliest recorded date of history, as given on a brick tablet of the time of Sargon of Akkad, 3,800 B.C., founder of the Chaldean empire.”  This account also notes that  “The Great Wall of China was constructed partly of brick, both burnt and unburnt.”  We also found these facts interesting:

“In England, the great fire of 1666 transformed London from a wooden to a brick town and gave a great spur to the brick industry.”

and,

”The first brick buildings in America were erected on Manhattan Island in the year 1633.... The bricks for these buildings were made in Holland....For many years brick were imported into America from Holland and also from England.”

Stop by and  look through either or both Audels sets.  It will be worth your time.

IN MEMORY

OF 

JEANNETTE AURELIA BULLIS

Born March 23, 1893

EXAMS, FEARS, HARDTACK, AND FAMILY

John Lapham Bullis covered a variety of topics and feelings in his letter from Annapolis, Maryland, written during the third year of the Civil War, on June 27, 1864.

1. He wrote that he had passed his exams in Washington and that he expected to start soon for the Regiment. 

2. Then he shared that he was "fearful another year will make great changes if the great Rebellion is not closed," and added a comment about "times to try men's hearts." 

3. He also commented that at least there was plenty of hardtack.

And 

4. He ended his letter with thoughts of his family: "Glad to hear Abram and Lydia doing well at school."

A typical letter home from a person in the midst of war? Perhaps. He told his family his current news,  his fears for the future, what he was thankful for, and then turned his thoughts to the readers, those waiting for him at home.  We can only wonder what was left unsaid about the horrors of war.

FROM "JOHNNIE"

John Lapham Bullis's family must have spent many anxious hours thinking of his safety--and his whereabouts--during the Civil War.  The arrival of each letter was proof that at the time of writing he was well enough to put pencil to paper, and these communications must have been  received with great joy and relief.

His second letter home from Annapolis, Maryland was written while he was "Waiting transp. to Army Potomac."  In that July 2, 1864 letter he reminisces, "Year ago at Gettysburg, warm, and we were taking a doublequick for a Barn that was changing hands often on that memorable time." Then on September 19, 1864, he was  "On the Ohio River Steamboat Grey Eagle on Ohio bound for Louisville. Soldiers have Measles." There is also a comment that he himself is "measle proof."

Between November 5, 1863 and November 20, 1864, Bullis wrote nine letters home, almost one a month, keeping in touch with those he loved and cared for. And he signed all of these letters "Johnnie."  Today, as we admire him for his military greatness, let's remember that first he was a loving son and brother.

MORE LETTERS HOME

This past week we focused on two more excerpts from John Lapham Bullis's letters home. The first, written from Annapolis on his 23rd birthday (April 17, 1864), talks about a visit from "Lieut Gen's Burnside and Grant." Bullis was impressed with Burnside,  writing that he was "a noble looking man with a high forehead in fact a model man in my opinion."  Bullis also mentioned that he was reading Victor Hugo's sketches of Napoleon and that "I have never before taken so much interest in History."  (This led us to wonder how much these contemporary military geniuses and those from history affected Bullis's own career.)

The second excerpt was from a letter written from Philadephia on May 8, 1864, in which he states: "Seated in a pleasant Room on Chestnut St. quite a change from a Tent quite a number of soldiers are here from various parts of the Theatre of War preparing for an examination. 30 days furlow then to Washington. The newsboys keep the air resounding with their music although it is the Sabbath. However I am keeping a Rebel from fighting now I suppose although I am doing nothing and the Rebel the same rather Quaker warfare I think." He then follows this with the comment: "Our exchange was effected just previous to the Fort Pillow massacre." (We're researching the Fort Pillow battle and will have more on it in a few weeks.)

So what do these excerpts of 23-year-old John Lapham Bullis's letters home tell us?  Their regularity indicates that he often thought of his Macedon home and his family, and the lack of direct references to his discomforts and hardships show that he wanted to reassure his family of his wellbeing. A third thing these particular excerpts reveal to us is his focus on his spiritual life.

In the May 8, 1864 letter, Bullis wrote: "Mother you mentioned in your letter as to my spiritual welfare for my part I cannot say that I Lose sight, far from it, however I try to lead a sort of moral life." He followed that comment with, "One principal in particular I admire that is to do as I would be done by but we all stray far from the right paths in the Army as the temptations are great."

We'll continue looking through the excerpts from Bullis's letters and post more next week. In the interim, we'd like to hear your comments and questions (online or in person).