Bishop talks about rats and other vermin. There is fighting up in Brashear. Nelson Peck was hit by a train. The Colonel is sick, possibly poisoned.
Lafourche Crossing La.
June 8th 1863
My dear Wife
This is monday morning and I am sitting under the shade of a tree trying to keep cool, my dear we are what you may call having hot weather, the Thermometer ranges from 90 to 100 in the shade daily, then we have a diversity of insects such as alligators, Snakes of numerous kinds, Mosquitos, Cockroaches, Rats &c. The Rats are quite troublesome, that is they run over the mens faces while they are asleep which is not very delightful, you know my antipathy against the vermin and you can imagine how disagreeable it is to have the nasty things running around. As far as I am concerned I have not slept in my tent a part of one night since I have been here, every night I take aboard and put the ends on a couple of boxes under a tree to keep the dew off, last night I slept as comfortable as ever I slept in my life and got through the night without an alarm, night before last we were all rousted out about 12 o'clock but it proved not to be an attack. Our Regiment is seeing some fighting up at Brashear. The Rebs have collected again up in the Tech [Bayou Teche] country and they are firing into our folks and our folks once in a while throw a shell at them, we are in constant expectation of an attack as there are no forces above us to prevent it at Napoleonville but we have escaped so far and I am in hopes will altogether, we have no reliable news at or from Port Hudson, from the looks of things I am afraid that Gen. Banks is having a very tight time of it at P. Hudson.
The papers in N. Orleans have nothing to say except that every thing is going along well but that we do not consider very satisfactory, we know that Gen. Banks has drawn every available man that he can rake and scrape and if he is [not] successful it may not be very safe for us about yon. I wish my darling that I could write you encouraging news but I cannot manufacture it as some can, neither have I the same confidence in our ultimate success that many have, but a few days may make a great difference. I am afraid that I shall have to give up the idea of going home by the Mississippi this fall. My darling it seems hard to make up our minds that we have got to stay in this climate until August. Yesterday we buried Nelson Peck of New Town he belonged to Co. C. Fannie is quite intimate with his folks, he was knocked off the Rail Road Bridge as [at] Bayou Beff about 2 miles from here by the cars as they were crossing the bridge, he was cautioned about going across at that time but he had crossed before and he thought he could again but it proved to be his last time. We all lament his death and we buried him with military honors, there are a good many sick in the Hospital. My own health is very good at this time, that is I have recovered from difficulty with my bowels, but of course I do not feel strong as I should if I were in a colder climate.
My darling I hope for the best as it regards my coming safe home. I feel that I am in the hands of God and that his protecting care is sufficient to keep me from all harm if it is his will and I trust that he will allow us to be united again. I think of you with much love my darling and I long to be home with you to take a husbands place by your side, the letters that you write to me contain cheering words of love and that is a great satisfaction to me. Continue my dear wife to put every confidence in my intentions to do right and I shall pray god to give me strength to obey his commands, you speak of my confidence in you. I tell you my darling that is [it] is unbounded and that I never had the least distrust of you, on the contrary I always thought that you wanted to do what was right. I used to think that our life was not as happy as it ought to be or as it could be but then I thought that I was probably to blame for part of it at least, the fact of it is my dear that there is no such thing as perfection. I am happy to hear you say that you will try to please me. I will try my darling not to abuse you but I must warn you not to expect perfection in me. I have not given up altogether yet the possibility of our getting home August, it seems to me just as if we should start for home before August, but if we have to stay why stay it is with the best grace we can, this is our Majors' Quarters now, the Col. is sick in N. Orleans, they think that he has been poisoned by the symptoms that he shows but he is sick at any rate. Some say that he is going home.
Afternoon June 8th
this morning I stopped writing and thought I would wait until evening or until night, it is now that time and I will try to finish this letter to you. My dear I have had to help bury another one of our regiment today with military honors a member of Co. I. of Bridgeport, and I believe there is another one at the Hospital that is to be buried tomorrow but I am not certain. So you see my darling that we are losing some but I hope that most of us will still be spared to reach our homes.
My darling do not worry about me as I am in the Hands of one able to save now and forever. My darling there are many Friends in the north that will have to mourn the death of dear ones that anxiously looked forward to the relization of happiness with their Families but their time had come and they are free from the cares of this world and I hope forgiven by god so that they are in a more blessed condition than they could be on this earth, now my dear I hardly know what to say to you that I have not already said. I cannot tell you in words what an intensive desire I have to be at home with you and engaged in peaceful persuits but I am in it and must submit until I can get out of it honorably but every night I think that I am one day nearer to being clasped to your bosom, my dear nothing can fill that aching void but your society, you mention that I will have to come a courting the same as I used to, well I suppose I shall but I hope I shall not have to court as long before I got married but I should wish to make life one long courtship. My dear wife continue to do as you always have done that is your duty and [I] trust that our heavenly father will reward you. I long for you my darling and I love you dearly and sometimes I feel as if I never could be contented to stay away from you until our time is out but I have got to and you must continue to write me affectionte letters just what you think will interest me most and believe that I love you better than anything else earthly,
from your devoted Husband
J. D. Bishop
