Charles Ledyard Norton

Born in Farmington, Connecticut, in 1837, he graduated from Yale in 1859 and went on to build a varied career as both an editor and an author. Sources available here identify him as an American journalist and writer, with editorial work connected to Christian Union, Outing, and other New York magazines.

His life also included Civil War service. Records found during this search describe him as a Union officer who later became colonel of the 78th United States Colored Infantry, a detail that adds important historical weight to his biography.

As a writer, he published across several genres: travel and place writing such as A Handbook of Florida, outdoor and leisure titles including Canoeing in Kanuckia and American Seaside Resorts, and fiction such as A Soldier of the Legion, The Queen's Rangers, and Midshipman Jack. He died in 1909, leaving behind a body of work that reflects both the magazine culture and the adventurous reading tastes of his era.