Samuel H. Bassitt - Civil War letter

Original letter: page 1 page 2

                                Headquarters Company I, 27th O.V.V.I.
                                Marietta Georgia
                                November the 4th A.D., 1864.

Dear Father & Mother

I once more endevor to write you a few lines to inform you that i am still on the land amonst the living and sincearly hope and trust that those few unworthy lines may chance to find you enjoying the same state of good health. Well Father & Mother i thought that i would write you a. few lines while i have a chance as it may be the last time for probably two or three months and maby longer I cannot tell. We are agoing off on a raid to Mobiel Georgia down on the gulf the distance is between 250 and 300 miles it is agoing to take a great deal of hard marching to go their. This Railroad is agoing to be evacuated and the Army of the Tennessee is agoing right on to the gulf. We will leave this place next weak some time. And all the rations that we will get will only be what we have along with us but one good thing we are agoing where the has never any army been to distroy the produce and you may bet we will live well as long as the is anything for us to live on. I tell you a Soldier is not agoing to starve as long as the is anything for him to get. But woe unto the citizens of Georgia. Father if i am lucky enough to get through safe and sound with my brave comrads at my side to help plant the banner of libberty ... sea coast and on the firtile soil of Georgia then i can write you a good long letter concerning the trials and hardships that we haft to endure in this mighty strugle of libberty which is at hand. I dont think that we will have much of an army to oppose us for old Hood is up in Tennessee and old Lee is in Richmond Virginia with old Grant.

Father you must keep on writing to me if you dont get any letters from me for it is likely we will haft to be on the go all of the time. You must get that distarge if you can and send it on to me emediately and i will do the best i can with it. Our Company is detailed into a battery and we have left the regiment and came down in town we have been here about a weak and in charge of five pieces of Artillery but when we leave we will turn the pieces over to someother battery it is the 1st Missouri Light Artillery. It has been raining for the last too or three days and is awfull cold down here. The aint much news here today onlay about the raid that is agoing off. But one can hear all the news about that that he is amond to listen to. I am on guard today agarding the Artillery.

So i will close my letter hoping good success in the future I remain your true and most affectionate Son Samuel Bassitt

I send my bes respects to all enquireing Friends.
Hoping to receive answers from each and all of them.

Direct: Samuel Bassitt, Co. I. 27th Ohio V.V.I., 1st Brigade, 1st Div., 17th A. C., Marietta Georgia.
So Goodby And dont forget and write to me. I have no stamps nor cant get any.

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[Transcripts from Civil War Letters binder in Allen County (Ohio) Museum library, c. 1975]
[Original letter in the Allen County (Ohio) Museum archives]