Charles A. (Charles Albert) Curtis

Born in Hallowell, Maine, on October 4, 1835, he was Charles Albert Curtis, an army officer and later an educator. Library of Congress authority records identify him as the author of Captured by the Navajos and note that he died in Madison, Wisconsin, on May 26, 1907.

Curtis served in the 5th United States Infantry during the Civil War years on the New Mexico and Arizona frontier. Later accounts of his life and work describe how he wrote detailed memoirs about that service, including encounters in the Southwest and observations of military life that were eventually gathered into the modern edition Ordered West: The Civil War Exploits of Charles A. Curtis.

He was also connected with Norwich University, where later sources say he served as president. His writing stands out for blending personal recollection, frontier history, and a storyteller's eye for memorable scenes, which helps explain why his work still appeals to readers interested in the Civil War West and classic American adventure narratives.