Bishop talks about various battles and troop movements.
Napoleonville La.
May 17th 1863
My dear little Wife
today is the Sabbath day and is a quiet one, the boys are quite still for soldiers to day.
one of our Boys is quite sick in the next room from ours with the inflamation of the Bowels. I think his case is not dangerous. We have been remarkably healthy up to this time and I am in hopes that we continue to fortunate. to day the Captain expects to go to N, Orleans to see General Banks about our time so that lam in hopes that in about 10 days we shall know whether we stay until August or not.
we have got the news of the Battle of Fredericksburgh and I consider it a defeat for our side although if we are reinforced sufficiently and are pushed right on it may be retrieved, it makes me feel sad to think of the thousands that are being killed without resulting in any apparent Benefit to us but as you say God doeth all things well and his ways are past finding out. it would seem as if it was almost impossible to win a decisive Victory around Washington I think myself it is because there are so many to interfere with the management of the Army of the Potomac, it would seem to me that the authorities at Washington were afraid to let the soldiers around them leave there for fear that they might be attacked. but still I donot understand how they are situated for men consequently 1 cannnot form a correct opinion. General Banks seems to be very successful in his department up to this time and I am in hopes it will last. I am sure I hope that the war will end soon but 1 have no expectations that it will until we can whip them out and that is a work of time. The southern people have great expectations that they will eventually succeed and I do not think they will give up until they are thoroughly whipped out. the people all around us expect that the Rebs will have possession of this state again and it is not impossible but improbable. it galls the southern planter to have to show his pass to a northern soldier but they have to come to it. on the whole they bear it better than I should think they would. I am acquainted with some of them and I find them to be sensible men Flospitable and polite, but I should hate to fall into their hands as a prisoner.
we thought that we should have a mail last night but it did not come up from N. Orleans Now then my darling this page 1 must reserve for you. well I have not stopped thinking of you nor ceased to love you. My East thoughts at night are of thee. I wish I could part with words my feelings for you but probably they are what you used to think would lead to a certain point and then die away but I am in hopes and I think that they are based on more honest principles. I cannot see how the sensual can be separated from the disinterested love although I should not wish the sensual to predominate, my dear I do not think you value me less for my passions but I think that you know that I possess them and hope that you think that it will make me no less tender of you than if it was wholly based on unselfish love, in fact my dear I do not know that I ought to be sensitive on that point because I donot believe that it is natural for the Husbands love to be separate from a desire to satisfy the passions.
well my darling I love you and the children as much as my nature is capable of and I try to be worthy of you in the sight of God. may he preserve us both and bring us together again is the fervent prayer of your Loving Husband
J.D. Bishop
