“The History of Jefferson County, Wisconsin”, published: Chicago:  
Western Historical Company.   1879.


CAPT. NELSON BRUETT,  attorney at law, Jefferson; was born at 
Massena Springs, St. Lawrence Co., N.Y., Aug. 14, 1828; came to 
Jefferson, October, 1854; spent the summer of 1855 in Kansas; returned 
in 1856, and read law with Holmes & Merriman three years, then was 
admitted to the bar; in the spring of 1859, he formed a copartnership 
with J. E. Holmes and continued law practice till 1861; enlisted under 
the first call for troops, in May, 1861, in a company intended for the 4th 
Wisconsin, but it did not muster with the regiment; in July, 1861, he 
enlisted in Co. D, 1st W.V.C., and was elected Captain of the company in 
September; the regiment carried on an almost independent warfare, and 
was in several severe campaigns through Arkansas; was afterward under 
Rosecrans in the Department of the Tennessee; this rigorous service 
proved too severe for Capt. B., and he was compelled to retire from 
service Aug. 3, 1863; in 1865, owing to poor health, he bought a farm 
and farmed it until he regained health sufficiently to resume practice, in 
1875.  Married Anna A. Watt, October 24, 1866; she was born in 
Scotland in 1848; they have four children living – William Arthur, 
Bertha E., Walter C. and Marie de Lerba, aged 9, 7, 6 and 2 years 
respectively.  He has held the following offices:  Superintendent of 
Township Schools, Justice of the Peace ten years, and Deputy County 
Clerk, also Police Justice six years ending with 1876; religion, 
Universalist; politics, Democrat.


Submitted by:  Linda Pingel  (LPingel@worldnet.att.net)