author
Joseph Kirkland
1830–1894
A sharp-eyed chronicler of Midwestern frontier life, this 19th-century American novelist turned his own experiences into vivid, realistic fiction. His work helped bring everyday pioneer life and Civil War memory onto the literary map.
1 Audiobook
The Chicago Massacre of 1812 With Illustrations and Historical Documents
by Joseph Kirkland
About the author
Born in Geneva, New York, in 1830, he was the son of educator William Kirkland and writer Caroline Kirkland. As a child he spent time in Michigan and later built a business career in Chicago before serving in the Union Army during the Civil War, where he rose to the rank of major.
After the war, he worked as a lawyer and journalist while continuing to write. He became literary editor of the Chicago Tribune and was active in Chicago's cultural life, bringing a practical, observant eye to the people and places he knew best.
He is remembered chiefly for fiction about pioneer life in the Midwest, especially Zury: The Meanest Man in Spring County, The McVeys, and A New Portion. Britannica notes that this trilogy contributed to the rise of realistic fiction in American literature. He died in Chicago in 1894.