Some More on Patrick Gass-- Part 8: Retirement and Marriage

With the end of the War of 1812, Patrick Gass' military career also came to an end.

He retired essentially to obscurity after leading such as exciting life.  He was past forty and lived quite the remarkable life.  he had nothing to show for the past and his book on the Lewis & Clark Expedition had been a financial failure.

So, he settled down and lived as best he could, swapping soldier's stories.  he gave way to drinking and for forty years was a sad drunkard.  The marvel is that he lived so long with such habits, and that, too,  after he had endured hardship enough to undermine the constitution of most men.  He seemed to be made of steel that would neither break or bend.  (These are his biographer's words.)

What romance entered his life as a young soldier we can only infer from his character and habits.  But love conquered the old soldier at age 58, and he was married  in 1831 to Miss Maria Hamilton, 41 years younger than he was.  In fifteen years before her death in 1846, they had seven children.

--Brock-Perry