A. R. (Alfred Rochefort) Calhoun

Born in Kentucky in 1844, Alfred Rochefort Calhoun served in a Kentucky Union regiment during the Civil War. Contemporary historical notes say he was seriously wounded, captured, imprisoned at Libby Prison in Richmond, and later escaped through the famous tunnel dug by prisoners there.

After the war, he followed an unusually wide-ranging career. Sources connect him with railway survey work in the West, photography, journalism, and illustration, including work as a special artist for Harper’s Weekly and as a journalist in Brooklyn. He also wrote fiction and drama, including Reunited: A Story of the Civil War and The Color Guard.

Today he is most often remembered through the public-domain books that remain easy to find and read, including How to Get on in the World, Business Hints for Men and Women, Lost in the Cañon, and Healthful Sports for Boys. Taken together, they show a writer interested not just in adventure, but in character, work, and everyday self-improvement.