Backwoods Tales: Paddy McGann, Sharp Snaffles, and Bill Bauldy

WILLIAM GILMORE SIMMS CHRONOLOGY

WILLIAM GILMORE SIMMS CHRONOLOGY 1806 Born in Charleston, South Carolina, April 17, the son of William Gilmore Simms, an Irish immigrant, and Harriet Ann Augusta Singleton Simms 1808 Mother died; left in the custody of his maternal grandmother by his father, who, frustrated by personal tragedy and business failure, deserted Charleston for the Southwest 1812–16 Attended public schools in Charleston 1816 At age ten made momentous decision to remain in Charleston with grandmother rather than join now-wealthy father in Mississippi 1816–18 Concluded formal education at private school conducted in buildings of the College of Charleston 1818 Apprenticed to apothecary to explore medical career 1824–25 Visited father in Mississippi; witnessed rugged frontier life 1825 Began study of law in Charleston office of Charles Rivers Carroll; edited (and published extensively in) the Album, a Charleston literary weekly 1826 Married Anna Malcolm Giles, October 19 1827 Admitted to bar; appointed magistrate of Charleston; published two volumes of poetry; first child, Anna Augusta Singleton Simms, born November 11 1832 Anna Malcolm Giles Simms died, February 19; made first visit to New York, where he met James Lawson, who became his literary agent and lifelong friend 1833 Published first volume of fiction, Martin Faber: The Story of a Criminal 1834 Published first full-length novel, Guy Rivers: A Tale of Georgia 1835 Published The Yemassee: A Tale of Carolina and The Partisan: A Tale of the Revolution 1836 Married Chevillette Eliza Roach, November 15, and moved to Woodlands, the plantation owned by her father; published Mellichampe: A Legend of the Santee 1837 Birth of Virginia Singleton Simms, November 15, first of fourteen children born to Chevillette Roach Simms 1838 Published Richard Hurdis; or, The Avenger of Blood. A Tale of Alabama 1840 Published Border Beagles: A Tale of Mississippi and The History of South Carolina 1841 Published The Kinsmen: or, The Black Riders of Congaree: A Tale (later retitled The Scout) and Confession; or, The Blind Heart. A Domestic Story 1842 Published Beauchampe, or, The Kentucky Tragedy. A Tale of Passion (later retitled Charlemont) 1842–43 Editor, Magnolia, Charleston literary magazine 1844 Elected to South Carolina legislature for 1844–46 term; published Castle Dismal: or, The Bachelor’s Christmas. A Domestic Legend 1845 Published The Wigwam and the Cabin and Helen Halsey: or, The Swamp State of Conelachita. A Tale of the Borders; editor , Southern and Western (known as “Simms’s Magazine”) 1846 Published The Life of Captain John Smith and Views and Reviews in American Literature History and Fiction, First Series (dated 1845) 1847 Published The Life of Chevalier Bayard and Views and Reviews in American Literature History and Fiction, Second Series (dated 1845) 1849–55 Editor, Southern Quarterly Review 1850 Published The Lily and the Totem, or, The Huguenots in Florida 1851 Published Katharine Walton: or, The Rebel of Dorchester. An Historical Romance of the Revolution in Carolina and Norman Maurice; or, The Man of the People. An American Drama xii CHRONOLOGY 1852 Published The Sword and the Distaff; or, “Fair, Fat and Forty,” A Story of the South, at the Close of the Revolution (retitled Woodcraft); The Golden Christmas: A Chronicle of St. John’s, Berkeley; As Good as a Comedy; or, The Tennessean’s Story; and Michael Bonham: or, The Fall of Bexar. A Tale of Texas 1853 Published Vasconselos. A Romance of the New World and a collected edition of Poems 1855 Published The Forayers, or the Raid of the Dog-Days 1856 Published Eutaw: A Sequel to The Forayers; Charlemont or The Pride of the Village. A Tale of Kentucky; and Beauchampe, or the Kentucky Tragedy. A Sequel to Charlemont; disastrous lecture tour of North, in which he voiced strong pro–South Carolina and pro-Southern views 1858 Death of two sons to yellow fever on the same day, September 22: the “crowning calamity” of his life 1859 Published The Cassique of Kiawah: A Colonial Romance 1860 Vigorously supported the secessionist movement 1862 Woodlands burned; rebuilt with subscription funds from friends and admirers; birth of last child, Charles Carroll Simms, October 20 1863 Chevillette Roach Simms died September 10: “bolt from a clear sky” 1864 Eldest son, William Gilmore Simms, Jr., wounded in Civil War battle in Virginia, June 12; most intimate friend in South Carolina, James Henry Hammond, died November 13 1865 Woodlands burned by stragglers from Sherman’s army; witnessed the burning of Columbia, described in The Sack and Destruction...