Steve O'Donnell

This is a close up of Sam Bass's newer tombstone. It was erected by the Sam Bass Historical Foundation of Round Rock, Texas, replicating the original tombstone purchased by Sarah [Sally] Bass, one of Sam's sisters, which tombstone was time after time chiseled away by souvenier hunters. After his name, it reads: "Samuel Bass, Born July 21, 1831, Died July 21, 1878, Age 27 Years. A brave man reposes in death here. Why was he not true?" The remnant of the original tombstone or at least a prior one to this one is behind this one, and can be better seen in my picture of the tombstone of Seaborn Barnes, which stands to the left of Sam's.

In my recent readings, I found one source that claimed Sam had no brothers. This is untrue: He had five brothers, as well as four sisters. Daniel and Elizabeth (Sheeks) Bass's ten children had been, in the order of their birth: Solomon [who died in infancy], Isaac [who died in infancy], George W., Euphemia, Clarissa, Samuel, John L., Bess Mary, Sarah [Sally], and Denton. Sam's mother died 3 June 1861, and his father 20 Feb 1864, widowing his second wife, Margaret Newkirk. Daniel and Elizabeth were both buried at the Woodville Cemetery in Burrows, Carroll Co, Indiana. Sam and his other underage siblings were then raised by their Uncle David Sheeks. Denton once wrote Sam in Texas begging to join him, but Sam forbade it, saying Texas would not be a good place for him.