At April Term 1863, Jacob, John, Nancy, Betsey, Delaney, and Patience Bass petitioned Wilson County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions to divide four enslaved people they inherited from Jacob S. Barnes in common — Nancy, Piety, Martha, and John.

On 29 May 1863, Jacob or John Bass wrote Ephraim Bass from a Confederate camp near Greenville, North Carolina. He asked for news of family, but seemed focused on pressing business: “I want you to rite me when them negroes is to be sold and I will Try to get a pass to come home at that time.”

Chafing at his brother’s inaction, on 1 July 1863 J. Bass wrote an unnamed brother-in-law. After sharing news of camp conditions and asking about family, he circled back to his earlier query: “I wante you to rite to mee Whate Ephreigm has don with them negros, Whether hee has soold them or not if hee hante rite to mee when hee is I goin to  sell them mabey I can gite the chanse to come to the sale.”

On 25 July 1863, Ephraim Bass reported that he sold John and Martha and her daughter Charity at public auction, where the high bidders were John Bass for John at $1005 and S.M. Thomas for Martha and Charity for $2000. There is no indication of what happened to Nancy or Piety.

Estate of Jacob Barnes (1862), Wilson [County, North Carolina] Probate Estate Case Files 1854-1959, http://www.familysearch.org.