New, Orleans April 17th 1863

Dear Father & Mother It is now some time since I have wrote a letter to you and I wase a thinkng that I wuld not occupy my time this evening to eny better atvantage than to try write you a few lines I am well that is the first thing I think more of my health than eny thing else here so I thought I would begin with that times are just beginning to be lively here  I sopose you have herd about Gen Banks failure up the river that is in taking Port hudson and a good meny thought it wase a poor move [page 2] in him to retreat when he wase so near thare but it begins to look a little diferent now he brought part of his forse frome Batton Roge down to Algears that is acrost the river frome here then the next move wase up to brazure City and frome thare I dont know whare thay did go to but thay are on the other side of the river frome here and the Rebbles have a place off thare some whare thay send supplies to Port Hudson and Banks hase taken it thay sent down betwen to and three hundred prisoners the other day and we went acrost the river to bring them over and you never see such a looking set of men I think: some had neather hat shoes or stocking some no coat and [some?] [page 3] or once in a while one wase dressed prety good but thay wer the dirtyest ragedtest looking lot of men I ever see then to day thay say the[y] hase frome frome fifteen hundred to to thousing more come amonxt the rest one Big. Gen. Oh.. thay are a giving it to um good and the gun boats have destroid the Queen of the west and the dianna these are to boats that the Rebbles touck frome the Government and thay touck one more boat gun boat I mean that the rebbles made themselves and three transports rather sour looking faces here now amunxt the seacesh and the news here is that Charleston Sout Caronlina is taken but probly you know more about that than I do it begins to look [page 4] a little more favorble just now but I dont know how long it will last if Charleston is taken the rebbles have lost thair best sea port town if our forces hold them posts the English cant run eny more arms and amunishion thair for the rebbles when this ware is over I want to go home and will if I live but the is one thing I want to see when every thing settled up and that is ware with America & England  I want to see the English satisfied thay have meddled long enough: here in this harbor the English ar just as seacesh as thay dare to bee and all the Soldiers are down on them  the[y] wase thre English Oficrs undertouck to take a gun away frome a sentneal one night and he called Coprel of the guard and got some police men and touck them to the lock up and the next day thay wer fined thirty dollars apiece our time half out tomorrow then we shall bee in the last half and I think it will go prety fast  I dont know whether eny of the boys frome around home wer on the fight or not but the 52. & 63. Regts are up thair some whare near the wounded wer brought down here but I have not found out whether the[y] is eny frome around home amonxt them or not the wounded [1] rebles wer brought down with our wounded and all in the hospittle together        but I shall have to close up                                       soon for I haint got much more                                                                   room  we shall have                                                                   fore mont pay due                                                                   the first of next                                                                   month but when we                                                               shall get eny more is                                                                  more than I can tell                                                                         write soon as you                                                                         can all of you                                                                                      I will wind                                                                            off    so good                                                                                     by for the                                                                                     time this                                                                                     frome                                                                                     JT Hammond