Retired rebel General Martin was on trial for whipping enslaved people on his plantation. There is a lot of corruption in the military. The locals speak French. He talks about how the two started dating.
Napoleonville La.
May 9th 1863
Dear Wife
Afternoon, Today is quite warm for some 2 or 3 days it has been quite cool but now it begins to be quite warm again and I suppose by tomorrow that it will be schorching hot again.
I have just been down to a private house and bought a piece of blackberry Pie. I felt as if I wanted something different from what we generally have. I have been to the Provost Marshalls office today to hear the Trial of Gen. Martin a Planter that used to have command of the Reb. Forces along this Bayou. He refuses to take the oath of Allegiance so that I think that he will leave this part of the country and go beyond the Reb. lines unless he alters his mind between this and the 1 of this month, he was before the Court for whipping the Negroes on his plantation. the result of the Trial was that the Provo sent the Negroes back to the Plantation to work and they will probably be in a worse condition than they were before. the fact of the business is that many of the officers connected with the Gov. of the U.S. as Provo Marshall & military officers are totally unfit for the position and the service of the Gov. must suffer for the want of capacity and honesty, you have no idea my dear how much corruption there is connected with the army, nor how much money there is made by military officers and often privates, if I ever come home I will endeavor to tell you considerable that I cannot write, my faculty for remembering the events that transpire under my observation and I dare say that a great deal that I see and hear will pass without proper Notice by your humble servant.
to day I saw a very pretty girl trading in one of the stores here, she was one of the cultivated class and when she had gone out the young man that waited on her told me that she had a secesh Flag in her pocket. I had forgotten to tell you before that the people here talk the French Language almost exclusively, it is the [same] all through the state unless it is in a portion of the state populated by northern people and they learn their children to talk French.
I donot hear much about the draughting in Conn. we sometimes think what a time there will be when they begin to conscript
My dear Wife I generally devote the last page to you. I often think of the time that you was in your teens or about 21 years old when I first knew you. you remember darling the sail we took together on the Housatonic River and the narrow excape we had. well my dear you remember the years that I caine courting, the many nice times that I had with you and you remember how we used to go up to the Candy Shop together and then you remember how we at last got married and how we had to learn as many others have had to learn before us the true source of happiness by years of experience. my dear I hope that our separation will prove a blessing to us and that we may enjoy the pleasure of each others society many years to come. My darling I love you fondly and wish you every happiness that can be enjoyed in this world and I hope to be allowed to join you soon
from your devoted Husband
J.D. Bishop
