May the 7th
  A.D.  1863
                               Fort Pleasant, Arkansas  

                               Dear Miss Bethana McGowan, 
 it is with the greatest of Pleasure that I avail myself of the 
 opportunity of writing to you to let you know that I am 
 well at this time.   hoping that when these few lines reach your 
 hand they will find you Enjoying the same Blessings of God.  
 I would like to see you and Spend a few hapy hours with 
 you in talking of the Pleasures of life.  I want you to live in 
 Remebrance of me and never think of a forsaken one while life 
 Is in your Body.  I have spent a many a hour of thinking 
 of the Pleasure of life we had keep Dear a from (since ?) the war  
 has been in Session.  I will send you a present which will 
 Be a Silver Ring which will be for you to keep 
 (-----torn-----) want you to keep it untill I get home a (torn) 
 every day and when you see it you will think of one who is fight -
 ing for his country, his home, his liberty and Betha (___?___) 
 a fighting for his sweet heart and one who loves her as well (as?)
 love can love.    I want you to tell all the youngsters in 
 that country hello for me and tell all the girls in that country 
 that I love them and has not forgotten some of them 
 and if you go to webster give my Best Respects to all the girls 
 there and tell them that I have not forgotten them.
 (-torn-)  never will as long as we have life.  I don't know when 
 I will Be at home till Peace is Decared or not, But if I 
 had to guess, I would say not.  I want you to write to me 
 every chance and wreite to me about the state of affairs.  
 I have nothing of omportance to write to you.  But remember 
 your affectionate friend untill Death.
                From:   Jasper B. Gentry
                To:     Miss Bethany McGowan

Jasper B. Gentry was born in Wright Co., Missouri on Feb. 17, 1843, a son of *Bartlett and Eleanor Priscilla (Mundy) Gentry. During the Civil War, Jasper served as a Sergeant in Company B of the 8th Regiment of Missouri Infantry, CSA. He was paroled at the end of the Civil War at Alexandria, LA on Jan. 7, 1865. Jasper returned to farming in Texas Co., MO where he married on Jan. 19, 1868 to Bethany McGowen. (The above letter is from Jasper to his "sweet heart" Bethany while he was stationed at Fort Pleasant, AR and she lived in Texas Co., Missouri). Bethany McGowen was born on Oct. 9, 1842 in White Co., TN on the banks of the Caney Fork River. She was a daughter of Anson and Elizabeth L. (Unknown) McGowen. Anson's family had migrated in 1819 from Hyde Co., NC to White Co., TN and in the 1840's to Arkansas and Missouri. Jasper died in Texas Co., MO on Feb. 20, 1872 at the age of 29. He was buried in Pinelawn Cemetery, Houston, MO.
He and Bethany were parents of two daughters:
1. Elizabeth Pricilla "Lizzie" Gentry, born Nov. 20, 1869, who married John Lafayette Berry.
2. Mary Frances "Frankie" Gentry, born April 7, 1871, who married Thomas J. Moody.
After Jasper's death, his widow, Bethany (McGowen) Gentry married 2nd on Nov. 4, 1883 to James Washington Gobble, also his 2nd marriage. They were parents of two sons:
1. Anson J. Gobble, born Nov. 20, 1884, who married Alice Ragan
2. John M. Gobble, born May, 1886, who married Pearl Stuart
Bethany (McGowen) Gentry / Gobble died between 1910 and 1920 in Quachita Parish, Louisana.

*Jasper's father, Bartlett Gentry, married 2nd to Madecy (McGowen) Sanders ca. 1853. Madecy was a sister of Anson McGowen and the aunt of Bethany (McGowen) Gentry. So Jasper's step-mother was his wife's aunt.

Contributed by Allen Gentry & Betty Stolzenthaler. Transcribed by John McGowan.

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