Civil War Letter, Gilbert Bass to James Groves 
Vernon Parish Louisiana
Submitted by Jane Parker McManus
Date: July 29, 2012

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Vicksburg Mississippi
Camp Norwood August 27 1862

Mr. James Groves. Dear father after my respects to you it is with 
pleasure that I seat my self to let  you know that I am yet alive but 
not well. My throught [throat] rises about once amonth which keeps me 
feeling very bad. It keeps me chocked rite bad for two or three days 
when it first rises but it gets well in aweaks time so that I can do 
duty. But I am in hopes to god that when this letter reaches you it may 
fine you and the familey  well and doing well and injoying good health.  
I received your letter and you don’t know how much satisfaction it gave 
me to hear that you were all well. I have not got any news to write to 
you of any interiss for I never hear any thing that is worth writing to 
you about for I know that you hear mor than I can tell you. I can say to 
you that the yankes has came back above town about five miles and the 
calculation is that there will bee aland fight before that [they] leave 
hear agane. But I don’t think that there will [be] any fight here onley 
the gunboats and the battries. Altho there is fifteen thousand landed  
up  at the mouth of the Asue river about three miles about Miliganes 
Bend which is about ten miles from where we are stationed. I don’t think 
that they will ever attack us and I am sertin that we will not attack 
them for unless they began to figher on us there will bee no fight for 
such leading officers you never heard of as we have got. The boys that 
is left is ancious for afight that is for my self I don’t reckon that I 
shall ever be in afight for they gave me eighteen dollars and ahalf to 
drive awagon and I taken the job and it suits me very well for I can 
pass off the time better. I believe it seames long any way. But I put my
trust in the almighty that is above us all to take me through and I 
hope that he will for I would bee willing to bee blacked and highered to 
some good man if I could get out of the ware for twelve months if that 
would get me out. But I will try to stand it till I get out. All that 
pesters me is that I am afraid that you will have to leave home before 
it ends but I hope not. You can tell Elizabeth that I don’t reckon that 
I shall get to come and see her and the children till the ware ends or 
till my three years is out for I don’t think that there will be any 
furloughs given unless it is to officers. But if I can I shall be home 
between now and Christmas. Will be asson as she need to look for me, if 
I can get of I shall come soon. I will no by the time I do write agane 
and I will let her no.  You tell her that the letter that she wrote to 
me that it gave me grate pleasure to read it for it was so long that I 
like never got through reading it for I have written three or four 
letters since I got it but I live in hopes that she will write to me 
after awhile. Tell her that I have not for got her if she has me well I 
have not got many more lines to write this time. You all might come over 
hear and see me for it is not far. You and mother might come any how for 
you have not got any little children. I had affine peach py for dinner 
to day and if you had bin hear you could have taken dinner with me and 
seed what affine cook I was. It had [a] fine crust on it. Kiss my little 
babys for me. I can’t.  Excuse bad writing and mistakes. I have nothing 
more to write to come to aclose for the present. Write soon to me. Your 
son till death, so good by.

Gilbert Bass