Prentiss Ingraham facts for kids
Prentiss Ingraham (born December 28, 1843 – died August 16, 1904) was an interesting person who lived an adventurous life. He was a soldier, a traveler, and a very busy writer. He is best known for writing many exciting adventure stories, especially about the famous American frontiersman, Buffalo Bill.
Prentiss Ingraham's Life Story
Prentiss Ingraham was born in Mississippi. His father, Rev. Joseph Ingraham, was also a writer. Prentiss went to military school in Maryland and later studied at Jefferson College in Mississippi.
He started studying medicine but soon left to join the Confederate Army. He became a high-ranking officer, a Colonel, and led scouts in a Texas Cavalry group. After the American Civil War ended, he continued his adventures. He traveled to Mexico and fought alongside Benito Juárez against the French. He also spent time in South America.
Ingraham's travels took him even further. He was in Austria in 1866 and later in Crete, fighting against the Turks. He also served in the Khedive's army in Egypt. In 1869, he visited London. Soon after, he returned to the United States and joined Cuban rebels who were fighting for independence from Spain. He was a Colonel in the Cuban army and a Captain in their navy. He was even captured and sentenced to death by the Spanish but managed to escape!
After all these adventures, Ingraham moved to the American West. There, he met William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, who was famous for his Wild West shows. Ingraham started working for Buffalo Bill's show, helping to organize it. In 1875, he married Rose Langley.
Prentiss Ingraham's Writing Career
Prentiss Ingraham began his writing career in London in 1869. He wrote a novel called The Masked Spy in 1872. He became very famous for his many novels about Buffalo Bill. He also wrote other popular series, like the Buck Taylor series and the Dick Doom series. Ingraham once said that he had written over 600 novels!
He didn't always use his own name when he wrote. He used many different pen names, which are like nicknames for writers. Some of his pen names included Dr. Noel Dunbar, Dangerfield Burr, and Colonel Leon Lafitte. He also secretly wrote some works for Buffalo Bill Cody himself.
Ingraham wrote over 150 dime novels about Buffalo Bill. Dime novels were short, inexpensive adventure stories that were very popular in the late 1800s. They were called "dime novels" because they often cost just ten cents. Some of his Buffalo Bill stories included:
- Buffalo Bill, the Border King
- Buffalo Bill’s Raid
- Buffalo Bill’s Bravery
- Buffalo Bill’s Trump Card
- Buffalo Bill’s Pledge
- Buffalo Bill’s Vengeance
- Buffalo Bill’s Iron Grip
- Buffalo Bill’s Capture
- Buffalo Bill’s Danger Line
- Buffalo Bill’s Comrades
Prentiss Ingraham's Final Days
Prentiss Ingraham spent his last years at the Beauvoir Confederate Home in Biloxi, Mississippi. He passed away on August 16, 1904, at the age of 60, due to a kidney illness.
