Civil War Letter, Gilbert Bass to Elizabeth Groves Bass 
Vernon Parish Louisiana
Submitted by Jane Parker McManus
Date: July 22, 2012

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Civil War - Letter written from Gilbert Bass to his wife, Elizabeth Groves Bass -  
The letters of Gilbert Bass are printed as he wrote them; no attempt has 
been made to correct the spelling. Gilbert spelled phonetically as did 
most people during this era, possibly indicating a limited education. 
Many difficult words were correct while simple words were not.  

[Gilbert Bass was the son of Drewry Bass and Susannah Bell. He was born 
ca 1836 in St. Landry Parish LA. He married Elizabeth Groves, daughter
of James Groves Jr. and Nancy Perkins, ca 1856, and two daughters were
born. Gilbert served with the Confederate Army during the Civil War. 
He joined at Camp Moore LA and was sent to Vicksburg MS. Gilbert was 
killed in Vicksburg and is probably buried there is mass burials. He 
wrote many letters describing the war to his wife and father-in-law, and 
his sisters-in law. His daughters were Nancy (1858) and Annie E. Bass 
(1860).]


March 15 1862
My Dear Beloved wife
I take my pen in hand to write you a few lines hoping that they may 
reach you injoying good health. This is for myself I have been sick 
every since your papy left me. I drank too much whisk [whiskey] but I 
hope the lord will forgave me and I will try to do better. If I was just 
back with you dear all the wars that was ever created could not get me 
to leave  you. But I hope the lord will be with us both that we may meat 
[meet] once more in this world, if not, I hope we will meat in heaven.  
I haven’t anything to write to you only we have to start tomorrow which 
is Sunday. I will write to you when I get to new Orleans how long the 
companey is agoing. I will be home in five or six months anyhow. Tell 
your Mother that I am very thankful to her for the good feeling she had 
for me gaving me that book. Tell her that I shall never forget her as 
long as I live. Take good cear of my children and allso yourself. I hope 
God will be with you as long as the world stands. Nothing More, only 
your dear beloved husband till death, so goodby my dear.

Gilbert Bass

March 23 … 
My Dear Beloved wife, after my respects to you it is with pleasure that 
I have the oppertuney to writ you a fiew lines to let you know that I am 
well today and hopeing that those fiew lines may reach you and the 
family injoying good health. I haaven’t any thing to write to you about 
any more than I am in the city of new Orleans and I am mustard in state 
service for duration of the war. I can’t tell you where to write to. I 
don’t know how long I shall stay hear. We calculated to go to camp more 
and I recond we will be station there but I don’t know how long. We may 
be mustard in the confederrate states. If we are I think that we will be 
sent to manassas in verginia and if not I d on’t know where in the name 
of god we will be sent to. That is all I can tell you till I do go. I 
said to you not to write till you received another letter but the 
captain came in just when I was writing my letter and said to tell you 
all write [when you] wanted to. That if we went off b efore your letters 
reached he would fix for them to be fored to us. You must direct your 
letters to me in the cear of Captain Hatch. The teribles you be shure to 
back your letters as I tell you and they will come. My Dear if I have 
liston to you I would have bin with you today, but as it is I am along 
ways from you. I have received o ne old blanket full of holes that is 
not wurth two bits and if I was with you the wars could not get me to 
start agane. I have nothing more to write to [you] onley you must [not] 
forget what you promist to me. Kiss my dear little children and receave 
the same. Your husband.

Gilbert Bass