Confederate Bible  / SOLD

Description

Confederate Bible 

 

Transcription: 

“L. J. W. Gilbert’s Book was born Jan. the 12th 1839 in Desoto County Miss. Is a resident of Independence Co. Ark — a private of Co. B, 7th Regt. Ark. Vol.” 

The 7th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (C.S.A.) was one of the hardest-fighting and most severely bloodied Confederate units raised west of the Mississippi. Organized in Independence County, Arkansas, in May 1861, the regiment drew heavily from local farms and settlements, especially the White River valley. The soldier referenced in the inscription—a private of Company B and a resident of Independence County—would have been among the earliest enlistees in the regiment’s formation. 

 

Organization & Early Service 

• The 7th Arkansas was initially brigaded under Brig. Gen. Patrick Cleburne, who quickly recognized its discipline and fighting ability. 
• Its first major engagement came at Shiloh (April 6–7, 1862), where the regiment suffered catastrophic casualties—losing over two-thirds of its strength in the first day of fighting. 
• After Shiloh, the survivors were temporarily consolidated with the 6th Arkansas, a pairing that continued throughout the war due to chronic battlefield attrition. 

Western Theater Campaigns 

Throughout 1862–1863, the 7th Arkansas fought in nearly every major action of the Army of Tennessee, including: 

• Shiloh – April 1862 
• Bragg’s Kentucky Campaign – Summer–Fall 1862 
• Perryville – October 8, 1862 
• Stones River (Murfreesboro) – Dec. 31, 1862–Jan. 2, 1863 
• Chickamauga – Sept. 19–20, 1863 
• Missionary Ridge – Nov. 25, 1863 

The combined 6th/7th Arkansas earned a reputation for holding the line under overwhelming pressure. Their stand in the Brock Field and Kelly Field sectors at Chickamauga was particularly noted for steadiness and discipline. 

 

Atlanta Campaign & Final Actions 

In 1864, as part of Cleburne’s Division, the regiment endured continuous combat through: 

• Resaca 
• Kennesaw Mountain 
• Atlanta 
• Jonesboro 

The regiment was nearly annihilated during Hood’s Tennessee Campaign, especially at Franklin (Nov. 30, 1864), where Cleburne himself was killed. The already thin ranks were devastated. 

 

The remnant of the 7th Arkansas ultimately surrendered with the Army of Tennessee at Bentonville, North Carolina, in April 1865. 

Company B – Local Character 

Company B was composed largely of men from Independence County, many from farming families near Batesville. Service records indicate: 

• Average age at enlistment: 22–25 years 
• High rates of combat casualties, disease, and desertion pressures due to harsh campaigning 
• Strong community ties, making losses especially painful to home counties 

CONFEDERATE NEW TESTAMENT BIBLE OF PRIVATE L. J. W. GILBERT 

COMPANY B, 7th ARKANSAS INFANTRY** 

 

A well-worn and deeply personal Civil War–period New Testament, carried by Private L. J. W. Gilbert, Company B, 7th Arkansas Infantry, one of the hardest-fighting regiments in the Army of Tennessee. The Bible includes a period inscription in Gilbert’s hand identifying the volume as his property and recording biographical details: 

“L. J. W. Gilbert’s Book was born Jan. the 12th 1839 in Desoto County Miss. Is a resident of Independence Co. Ark, a private of Co. B, 7th Regt. Ark. Vol.” 

The Bible itself is a wartime printing: 

THE NEW TESTAMENT 

OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR 

JESUS CHRIST, 

Translated out of the Original Greek, and with the former translations diligently compared and revised, 

By His Majesty’s Special Command. 

Appointed to be read in Churches. 

Printed at the Oxford University Press for the British and Foreign Bible Society, London. 

Dated 1862. 

 

This 1862 Oxford printing is exactly the type widely imported through blockade channels and circulated throughout the Confederacy by soldiers, chaplains, aid societies, and itinerant ministers. These pocket-sized BFBS editions were prized for their portability and durability under field conditions, and Confederate soldiers carried them in haversacks, breast pockets, or knapsacks. 

 

Private L. J. W. Gilbert served in Company B, 7th Arkansas Infantry, a regiment that endured catastrophic losses at Shiloh, fought under Patrick Cleburne, and participated in nearly every major Western Theater engagement including: 

• Perryville 
• Murfreesboro (Stones River) 
• Chickamauga 
• Missionary Ridge 
• The Atlanta Campaign 
• Franklin 
• Bentonville 

The direct inscription places this Bible not only in the hands of a confirmed Confederate soldier but specifically with a member of one of the most distinguished and heavily engaged Arkansas regiments of the war. 

 

The bible is accompanied by a bone brush used by him as a POW.  A rare occurrence to acquire an Arkansas piece. 

Comes housed in 6 x 8 riker display case with blue velvet and descriptive card.

 

Inventory Number:  IDE 311