author
Edward F. (Edward Fitch) Underhill
1830–1898
A lively 19th-century American writer, journalist, and pioneering court stenographer, he moved easily between humor, reporting, law, and local history. His life also touched reform movements and the Civil War, giving his books an unusual mix of wit and firsthand experience.
1 Audiobook
The History and Records of the Elephant Club
by Edward F. (Edward Fitch) Underhill, Q. K. Philander Doesticks
About the author
Born in Wolcott, New York, in 1830, Edward Fitch Underhill built a remarkably varied career. Sources describe him as a stenographer, lawyer, journalist, poet, and author, and note that he helped advance court reporting in New York by pushing for official recognition of stenographers in the courts.
As a young man, he attended the 1848 Seneca Falls convention and signed in support of the women's rights movement. Later, he worked as a Civil War reporter for The New York Times and was reportedly captured and imprisoned by Confederate forces, before going on to become especially known for legal and court reporting.
Underhill also wrote books ranging from humor to practical instruction and regional history. Project Gutenberg lists a substantial body of his work, and later historical accounts remember him as a colorful, many-sided figure closely associated with Siasconset on Nantucket. He died in 1898.