General Weitzel's arrival and inaction at Vicksburg and Port Hudson are reported. Divisions of over local politics are described some fear that the election of Thomas Seymour as governor would lead to civil war.
Lafourch Crossing La.
March 26th 1863
Dear Wife
I have a letter containing 8 pages that I have not sent yet because the mail has not gone down to N. Orleans from here yet but I will write some more and when you receive it no doubt it will be welcome. there is no news to day of any importance in Camp and we have had no cause of alarm since I wrote the last time.
General Weitzell is up at Bayou Beff with his forces and we do not know much about how is situated. I am in hopes that we shall not have to evacuate this Road as we should have to fight again to get possesion of it if we wanted it. there does not seem to be any thing doing up to Port Hudson or Vicksburgh and we think that it is not the intention of the authorities to try to do anything serious at present.
well my dear Wife I suppose that politics is raging strong in old connecticut about this time as the election is so near at hand. our camp is divided in opinion as to politics, some would prefer to have Seymour and some would be afraid to have him elected Governor for fear the opinions he expresses will lead to civil war. I expected that they must be drafting or enrolling ready to draught by this time in Danbury. we expect that there will be a good deal of opposition to the draft by some. The 300 dollar clause will create a good deal of oposition but time will tell how it will turn out.
my dear wife time drags on and the days of our time grow fewer but we are all afraid that we shall be kept until August before we are allowed to go home. My dear it is now so much as 2 weeks since I have heard from you as I have received nothing by the last 2 mails but one paper. My dear how I do long to get a letter from you and I feel somewhat anxious about you and the children and I have heard through J. Hagan that Amos was very sick with lung Fever. I feel anxious about him. one of my Tent mates Edward Comstock is at the Hospital and it is thought that he never will be able to get home even if he does not die before long. he was taken with a numbness in his legs and it has spread through all his body nearly now and we are afraid that he never will get well. the Hospital my dear is a place that all soldiers wish to avoid if possible as they rarely have first class doctors and of course they do not have as good attention as they would home.
My dear I wish I possessed the faculty of conveying my thoughts on paper so that I could tell you all my heart how much I do desire to see you and the children. I hope Eddie will receive no hurt by my absence and the other children of course will get along if they are not restrained. My dear I find that I am using up all my room without telling you that I love you dearly and that I long to rejoin you at home with our children to shield you from hard and want.
ever your affectionate
Husband J. D. Bishop
