Mouth of Red River
Gunboat Choctaw,
August 20th/ [18]63

Dear Parents,

After waiting a long time for a letter from home I have at last received yours of the 4th. We are still doing the dull business of blockading [the] Red River, but it is rumored that we are going to New Orleans. A couple of the crew were discharged yesterday and sent up the river on New National. Several of the Cincinnati crew’s Choctaw Crewtime will be out in a few days, but cannot get their discharges until our a/c [accounts] come. Our old purser was here a few weeks ago and said that our a/cs will be here in about a month. One of our men’s time has been out for over a month. You tell me not to let them keep me if our a/c are not here by the time my time is out. I cannot help them keeping me. But I hope our a/c will be here soon. I am very glad you have so much fruit at home and would willingly partake of a share of it about the 1st of October. I don’t think I’ll bring any trophy except it be a dirty bag of dirty clothes. [SIC]. It is very easily [sic] for a man in walking over a battlefield to pick up relics etc., but in the navy it is different.

We have brought over a large number of refugees who come to the Red River. They are fleeing from conscription and are mostly foreigners of French extraction. Our contraband camp still keeps well supplied with contrabands. They had a camp meeting the other night and made a tremendous noise singing and preaching which made me very angry as I wanted to sleep very much.

I am glad John Fox takes such good care of himself. I hope Maggie will have a good time if she goes into the country. I hope she will come home as rose-cheeked and fat as the last time she went to Perth [Ontaria, Canada]. I want her to write and give me an a/c of her journey when she starts. I am very well at present. I ‘m sorry I have had so little news to write. Give my love to all at home. Remember me to Mrs. Love and Mary. Tell them and everyone else that I ‘ve no time to write to them.

Your affectionate son,

Dan.

Footnotes

Image: [Crewmen on U.S.S. Choctaw 1863-1866]. Photograph, 1863. Collection of Rear Admiral Ammen C. Farenholt, USN (MC), 1935. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h55000/h55577.jpg.

This photo was taken in 1863. I have no idea if Daniel might be in the photo, but I suppose it is possible. He was on the Choctaw for about 4 months that year.