L. P. (Linus Pierpont) Brockett

Born in Canton, Connecticut, in 1820, Linus Pierpont Brockett trained as a physician and graduated from Yale Medical College in 1843. A few years later, he turned away from medical practice and devoted himself mainly to writing.

He became a prolific author and contributor to reference works, producing dozens of books across history, biography, religion, and education. He is especially remembered for works tied to the American Civil War, including accounts of the battlefield, the home front, and the people whose efforts shaped the conflict.

Brockett died in 1893. Although not widely known today, his books helped 19th-century readers follow the lives of major leaders and the meaning of the war in a direct, accessible style.