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 Missip
August 31, 1862

My Dear beloved wife. After my respects to you it is with the greatest 
of pleasure that I once more seat my self to let you know that through 
the mercy of god that I am yet alive and able to go but not verry well.  
I don’t believe that aman is ever well hear or that is I don’t believe 
that he ever feals well at no time for they have to go through so many 
hard ships. I can’t tell you unless I was with you. But I am inhopes and 
trust to god that when this letter reaches you it may find you and our 
dear little children well and also the rest of the family well and 
injoying good health. The letter that you sent to me by lutinent Macomic 
has come to hand and you don’t know the pleasure it gave me and to hear 
that you all were well for thought you were not going to write to me any 
more for it bin along time sinse I have received one from you. I have 
not got any news to write you onley what you have heard. I don’t reckon 
you have heard of those gunboats being at the mouth of the river. I 
reckon I can say to you that the yankes has all left hear agane and we 
also had about came from Alexander [Alexandria] hear to Vicksburg last 
night and you don’t know how glad I was to no the yankes was all left 
the river. I have some hopes of seeing you once more in life. I bring 
samething to you and those clothes if you can send me some pantloons and 
socks I will try to make out for shirts. But if you can see any 
possiable chance send me the pants. Tell Massina and Lucinda that there 
is ahalf sheat of paper for them to write me aletter for the other one 
was solong that I have no[t] got through reading it yet. Tell Almerida 
that I will [write] to her in my next letter for I have to close for I 
am [on] call and must go. God bless you my dear wife. Write soon.  
Nothing More your tru husband till death.

Gilbert Bass