Francis Wilshin

Francis F. Wilshin was an American historian and writer best known for books and historical handbooks on Civil War sites, especially Manassas (Bull Run) National Battlefield Park, Virginia. His work was closely tied to the National Park Service, and his writing focused on explaining major battlefield history in a way general readers could follow.

Sources available during this search also identify him as Francis Folliard Wilshin. A National Park Service history of Manassas describes him as superintendent of Manassas National Battlefield Park from 1955 to 1969, and notes how strongly he connected with visitors through his retellings of the battle. A Virginia Glee Club page gives his lifespan as January 16, 1901 – April 25, 1990.

Reliable biographical detail beyond his park and writing career was limited in the material I could confirm here, so this overview stays focused on the part of his life that is clearest: preserving, interpreting, and sharing American Civil War history.