lieutenant-colonel (Ninian) Pinkney

Known in print as Lieutenant-Colonel Pinkney, he was an American officer and author born in 1776 and died in 1825. He wrote Travels through the South of France and in the Interior of the Provinces of Provence and Languedoc, a book based on a journey he began from Baltimore in 1807 and published soon after.

The travel narrative stands out for its firsthand look at landscapes, towns, and daily life in France during the Napoleonic era. Rather than feeling dry or distant, it reads like a curious traveler reporting what he actually saw, with an eye for route, scenery, and local character.

Available sources also connect him to the prominent Pinkney family of Maryland, including the statesman William Pinkney, described as his brother. Clear, reliable biographical detail beyond his military title, family connections, and authorship is limited, so his reputation today rests mainly on that lively and unusual travel book.