Harry Castlemon facts for kids
Charles Austin Fosdick (born September 6, 1842 – died August 22, 1915) was a super popular writer of adventure stories for boys. He was better known by his pen name, Harry Castlemon. He was born in Randolph, New York, and finished high school in Buffalo, New York.
From 1862 to 1865, Charles served in the Union Navy during the American Civil War. He helped manage coal for ships on the Mississippi River Squadron. He started writing when he was a teenager. His experiences in the Navy inspired his early books like Frank on a Gunboat (1864) and Frank on the Lower Mississippi (1867). Soon, he became one of the most-read authors for boys after the Civil War. This time was known as the "golden age" for children's books.
Writing Exciting Adventures for Boys
Charles Fosdick once said something important about writing for kids: "Boys don't like fine literature. What they want is adventure, and the more of it you can get in two-hundred-fifty pages of manuscript, the better fellow you are." He certainly delivered a lot of adventure!
He wrote many popular book series, including:
- The Gunboat Series
- The Rocky Mountain Series
- The Roughing It Series
- The Sportsman's Club Series
- The Steel Horse, or the Rambles of a Bicycle
Popular Books by Harry Castlemon
Here are some of the exciting titles he wrote:
- Frank on a Gun-boat, 1864
- Frank Before Vicksburg, 1864
- Frank on the Lower Mississippi, 1867
- Frank, the Young Naturalist, 1864
- The Boy Trapper, or, How Dave Filled the Order, 1878
- George at the Fort, or, Life Among the Soldiers, 1882
- Marcy The Blockade Runner, 1891
- The Mail Carrier, 1879
- The Steel Horse, or, The Rambles of a Bicycle, 1888
- A Rebellion in Dixie, 1897
- The Haunted Mine, 1915
His Family and Legacy
Charles Fosdick was known as "Uncle Charlie" to the famous minister, Harry Emerson Fosdick. Harry Emerson Fosdick often wrote about how much he enjoyed visiting his uncle at his home in Westfield (village), New York when he was a boy.
Charles Fosdick married Sarah Elizabeth Stoddard in 1873. They lived most of their married life in Westfield, New York. They are buried next to each other in the Westfield Cemetery.
