Bishop received 2 letters from the previous month. His daughter Fannie fell on the stove. Because a black family lived in a house that Mr. Knapp had on the market, Bishop regrets having Sarah make an inquiry regarding its availability. Sarah rented a house from Mr. Griffins [Griffings] though Bishop preferred she take Mrs. Holmes' at 70 dollars. Bishop regrets her loaning Mrs. Ball money. The 23rd are under a provost marshall. There has been a battle at Bayou Teche and they netted many prisoners in the Union victory. Bishop wonders if the new home may be a bit more isolated that their previous residence (Mr. Reed's House). Nathaniel [brother in law?] is improving whose malady Bishop attributes to habits. He regrets the behavior of those around him. He still believes he will return home in June.
Napoleonville, La.
April 16th 63
My Dear Wife
We received the mail last evening from N. Orleans and I received 2 paper & 3 letters by it.
1 letter was dated the 12th of March
1 """" 15th ""
1 """" 31St ""
I was very glad to receive them and devoured them eagerly of course. the contents I found very satisfactory. You speak of Fannies falling on the stove. I hope it will prove nothing serious do not think that I would blame you for taking too little pains with the children. I think your love for them will cause you to care for them properly. accidents will happen to the best regulated Families.
as it regards Mr. Knapps House. if you had told me in your letter that he offered you the House that the Negroes lived in I should not have written to him telling him that I would have accepted it. you see that I did not get your letter containing that information until last night. I am glad that you took the House of Mr. Griffins that is until I can get home and look around a little. I should rather have taken the House of Mrs Holmes at 70 dollars than to pay [?] for Griffins. but you could not take it. my dear wife I have an idea but what you have acted for the best in all you have done and I have had no idea of complaining of anything that you have done except the letting Mrs. Ball have the money it may be she will pay you as soon as she can &c but she should not have come to you in the first place. if she was a proper wife she would let her Husband manage the money matters. the probability is that her Husband knows nothing about her coming to you for money.
My health I think is about the same although although I think the climate is affecting me some but I am in hopes that I shall weather it through. the sameness of the food and the careless manner in which it is some times cooked affects my stomach but I do not know as it is any worse than it had been for years. some days I feel very gloomy. I think it is owing to indigestion.
as it regards our situation here there is no alteration to speak of we have sent about 12 of our men up to a small place a few miles above here to watch things about there. we have been expecting to go on an expedition above to clean out a body of Rebs that are said to be forwarding supplies to the Reb. Army. but it has not come off yet. the reason for the delay I do not know. we are under a provost marshall here. and have to go where he dictates. There has been a Great Battle on the Bayou Tech [Teche] and as far as we have heard we have been victorious although we have not got conclusive News but we have the captain of the Queen of the west a prisoner in N. 0. and we have taken a good many prisoners.
well my dear I suppose that you are duly installed in Mr. Griffins House. I think very likely that you will find it more lonely down in the lane there than you did in Mr. Reeds House. I think I shall like it there myself if it is not too far down for Business, but I am well satisfied what you have done my darling and I am glad that you did not accept Mr. Knapps offer because he wanted you to sign a paper. I thought perhaps that he was cured of his avaricious disposition in some extent but I donot think that he is now. when I come home ifl should [not] like the location of the house I can get some other one perhaps but I think I shall at any rate I think I shall be satisfied with any place where you are and the children.
I was glad to hear that Nathaniel was improving in Health and mind. I hope he will get entirely cured. I am pretty well satisfied in my own mind that secret habits have something to do with his disease his symptoms agree so well with what is described as the result of such habits but I donotjudge him of that but I am afraid that such is the case. our health depends a great deal on the natural gratifications of our desires. but you know my opinion on such matters.
my darling I have learned something of human nature that I did not know of before I came into the army! for instance it is difficult to believe in the depravity that exists in the army and in fact in our own town. I am exceedingly thankful that my father tried to instil into my mind virtuous principles so that I need not be led astray when I am at mature age so my dear wife I long to be with you but I have no desire for other women. I think I should feel better if I was home with you but that cannnot be I must wait patiently until our time expired but I take much pleasure in thinking of you and knowing that I love you dearly and that you love me in return and are doing your duty to me in taking care of the our children. my dear wife I anticipate much pleasure in returing to you and I am in hopes that I shall prove to be agreeable to you and add to your happiness.
give my love to the children and believe that I shall continue to love you alone until we are separated by the great enemy
your loving husband
J.D. Bishop
I should not have anything to think of in the future worth thinking of. we have discussions almost every day as the time when we shall start for New Haven some think that we shall not start in the month of June and some think of the month of August as the time but I am pretty well assured in my own mind that June is the time that we shall start for home. my darling little wife I wish you could smell of the Roses that we have in a Bouquett of Flowers but that is not sufficient to compensate for the climate and other things too numerous to mention that we are blesed with, such as Alligators, snakes lizards &c &c.
