John William De Forest (1826–1906)

Author of Miss Ravenel's Conversion from Secession to Loyalty

25+ Works 293 Members 9 Reviews

About the Author

John William De Forest was a writer. His major novel, Miss Ravenel's Conversion from Secession to Loyalty (1867), and two works, A Volunteer's Adventures (published posthumously in 1946) and A Union Officer in the Reconstruction (published posthumously in 1948), which originally appeared in the show more Atlantic Monthly and Putnam's magazines, show detailed pictures of the society and manners of the South during and after the Civil War. De Forest was born in Seymour, Connecticut, and his first published work was the History of the Indians of Connecticut from the Earliest Known Period to 1850 (1851). He lived with his brother in Syria for several years and traveled widely through the Near East and Europe. He married and settled in the South but served with the Connecticut Volunteers in the Civil War. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Includes the names: john de forest, J. W. De Forest, John W. De Forest, John W. De Forest, John William De Forest, J[ohn] W[illiam]. De Forest, John William (1826-1906). James H. Croushore (ed.), John William; Edited by James H. Croushore De Fore

Works by John William De Forest

History of the Indians of Connecticut from the earliest known period to 1850 (1851) 29 copies

A Volunteer's Adventures: A Union Captain's Record of the Civil War (1946) 27 copies

A Union officer in the Reconstruction (1948) 17 copies

Stories by American Authors, Volume 8 (1884) — Contributor — 9 copies

Witching Times (Masterworks of Literature Series) (1967) 8 copies

Stories by American Authors, Volume 4 (1884) — Contributor — 8 copies

Honest John Vane (1875) 6 copies

The Brigade Commander (2010) 5 copies

Overland (1872) 5 copies

Kate Beaumont (1872) 4 copies

Playing the Mischief (1875) 3 copies

European acquaintance 3 copies

The DeForests of Avesnes (and of New Netherland): A Huguenot Thread in American Colonial History, 1494 to the Present… (1992) 2 copies

The Wetherel affair 1 copy

The bloody chasm. A novel 1 copy

History of the Indians of Connecticut (2018) 1 copy

Seacliff; or, The mystery of the Westervelts (1859) 1 copy

History of the Indians of Connecticut from the Earliest Known Period to 1850, 1851 1 copy

Justine's lovers; a novel 1 copy

A lover's revolt 1 copy

Oriental acquaintance 1 copy

Stories by American Authors III - IV 1 copy

Overland 1 copy

Irene the missionary 1 copy

Work Explorer

Associated Works

Poets of the Civil War (2005) — Contributor — 94 copies

A Treasury of Civil War Stories (1985) — Contributor — 78 copies

Gentlemen, Scholars and Scoundrels: A Treasury of the Best of Harper's Magazine from 1850 to the Present (1959) — Contributor — 56 copies

Civil War Ghosts (2006) — Contributor — 43 copies

Best Loved Short Stories of Nineteenth Century America (2003) — Contributor — 39 copies

Civil War Memories: Nineteen Stories of Battle, Bravery, Love, and Tragedy (2000) — Contributor — 33 copies

Short Story Classics [American], Volume 2 (1905) — Contributor — 29 copies

Harper's New Monthly Magazine: Vol 36, December 1867 thru May 1868 — Contributor — 3 copies

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Common Knowledge

Birthdate: 1826-05-31
Date of death: 1906-07-17
Gender: male
Nationality: USA
Birthplace: Seymour, Connecticut, USA
Place of death: New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Places of residence: Humphreysville, Connecticut, USA (now Seymour ∙ birth)
New Haven, Connecticut, USA (death)
Greenville, South Carolina, USA
Syria
Education: self-educated
Occupations: novelist
travel writer
historian
soldier
essayist
Organizations: US Army (captain ∙ Civil War)
Veteran Reserve Corps
Freedmen's Bureau
Awards and honors: Honorary degree, Amherst College (AM|1859)
Short biography: Credited with being the first to use the phrase 'Great American Novel'.

Members

Reviews

Miss Ravenel's conversion from secession to loyalty by John William De Forest

Fair/Poor Charles W Boltwood"

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GoshenMAHistory | 3 other reviews | Apr 4, 2022 |

Miss Ravenel's Conversion by J. W. Deforest

The only "realist" novel about the Civil War written by someone who actually fought in the conflict. Its LONG arc encompasses a lot of boring marriage plot nonsense at the beginning and end, all designed to show us that good and right eventually win out. But it's all too clear that the author, well known as a nonfiction writer, is longing to get us back to the front. And when he's at the battle lines, this book is almost unequaled in 19th century fiction about war. Took me longer than it should to finish. I think he was going for something sprawling and Dickensian but it just doesn't feel tight enough to really be successful as a novel.… (more)

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sansmerci | 3 other reviews | May 18, 2019 |