U.S.A Gen Marine Hospital N.O. L'a

May 13^th 1864

 

Dear Wife

                        I will write you a short letter this morning and send you a little money I will enclose in this a $20. dollar bill and as soon as you get it let me know. I was paid two months pay day before yesterday and as this is the first mail that leaves for the North since then I could not send it any sooner to you. I hope that it will reach you all right. in my last letter I sent you a photograph of Dr. Benedict I hope that it will go through all safe  for I think a goodeal of that present he is a New York man and a gentleman

 

            Yesterday afternoon I went out to Lake Ponchartrain for the first time. there is nothing that I saw there that was very inviting I was disappointed for I expected / to find rather a nice place but on the contrary it is a low dirty looking hole the water of the lake is as mudy as the water in the canal and the lake is so shallow that you can wade out in it near a half mile yet this a great place of resort for the Big Bugs of New Orleans, but what there is so attractive there I failed to see unless it was any quantity of whiskey and—no matter what I will tell you when I come home

 

            I got a letter from you last tuesday the first that I had got for near five weeks. I tell you I was glad to get it and to know that you were all well again for it had been so long since I had heard from you that I was afraid that you could not write you were so sick but a load was taken from my mind when I read that you were all well again and I hope that it may continue so I am glad that you speak so well of the children for it used to / grieve me when you told about having so much trouble with frank

 

            Well the Department of Gulf is not accomplishing much here now Banks made an attempt to go through to texas but failed and now with 35,000 men is surrounded by the rebs at Alaxandria and they have demanded of him a surrender of his army and the place but whether it has been done yet or no I cannot say, the prospect here is very bad

 

            But I must stop for this time with my love to you as Ever

 

Write often

L. V. Tucker

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