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).]
 

Camp Norwood Near Vicksburg Nov. 27

My Dear beloved wife after my respects to you it is with pleasure that 
through mercer of god our creater that I seat my self to let you know 
that I am yet on the land of the living and injoying good health and I 
am inhopes and trust to god that when this letter reaches you it may 
find you and our dear little children injoying the same blessings of god 
that I now injoy. I have not got any thing mush to write to you about 
for times is very hard hear and ever thing is very high but we are all 
in good spirits at this time. We have got a new jinerrel. I think that 
there is some prospects now of getting afurlow I think. He seams to be 
ajentleman which I take him to be and I hope that I am not rong. I am 
going to try for a furlough shortly. We are bilding winter quarters at 
this time but I don’t know when we will get them done. I can say to you 
that there is about five hundred negros hear at work trowing up brest 
works. They have cut all the timber down for ahalf mile wide to keep the 
yanks of and think that it will keep them away till the ware ends. It is 
impossible to get through it is laying so thick on the ground. That is 
about all that I can tell you about it unless I was with you. I received 
the quilt that you sent me by Mr. St.Johns and you don’t know how glad 
that I was to get it. If you had not have sent it to me I don’t know 
what I should have done for I onley had one blanket to lay on and cover 
with. But I have done find ever sense I got it. I have slept warm I also 
received the pants that you sent me and was glad to get them. But I 
would rather have had two or three pares of socks. You wrote to me to 
get you two papers of kneedles and apaper of pins and above of hairpins.  
The hairpins I could not get them but the needles and pins I got them 
and Mrs. St. Johns will bring them to you. I wish that you would get 
Almerinda to knit me apir of gloves and send them by some one. I do ask 
you to send me aheep but I can’t help it for I can’t get it hear but I 
hope the day is not long till I shall bee with you to make up for all 
that I now ask you for now. I want you to gave my compliments to Linda 
(Lucinda Groves] and Mass [Massina Groves] and tell them that I am yet 
reading the letters that they wrote to me. My dear wife you will have to 
excuse my letter. It is write bad for I have not got time to do any 
better. I want you to write oftin to me if you can. Kiss the children 
for me and also your mother and kiss those fiew lines for me for I have 
kissed [them] and that is all the way that I have got to kiss you. Gave 
my respects to the familey. Nothing More onley I remain yours for ever 
tru husband till death. So good by. My Dear wife write your loving 
husband.

Gilbert Bass