author
Henry A. (Henry Anson) Castle
1841–1916
A Civil War veteran, lawyer, and public figure from Minnesota, he wrote with the firsthand energy of someone who had lived through the events and places he described. His books blend local history, biography, and war recollection in a way that still feels vivid and personal.
1 Audiobook
The Army Mule, and Other War Sketches
by Henry A. (Henry Anson) Castle
About the author
Born in Illinois in 1841, Henry Anson Castle went on to build a remarkably varied career as a soldier, lawyer, newspaper man, politician, and civic leader. During the American Civil War he served in Illinois regiments, and after the war he settled in St. Paul, where he became active in public life and in the growth of Minnesota.
Castle is remembered not only for his work in government and civic affairs, but also for his writing. His books include The Army Mule, and Other War Sketches, along with substantial historical works such as History of St. Paul and Vicinity and Minnesota, Its Story and Biography. That range helps explain his appeal as an author: he could move from anecdotal wartime storytelling to large-scale regional history.
He died in 1916, leaving behind a body of work closely tied to Minnesota's early public memory. For readers interested in Civil War reminiscence, local history, or the people who helped shape the Upper Midwest, his writing offers both detail and personality.