Charles Follen Adams
American poet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Charles Follen Adams (April 21, 1842 – March 8, 1918) was an American poet.[1][2]
Charles Follen Adams | |
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Charles F. Adams (published 1910) | |
| Born | April 21, 1842 Dorchester, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | March 8, 1918 (aged 75) Roxbury, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation | poet |
| Writing career | |
| Language | English |
| Subjects | Adams enlisted in the 13th Massachusetts Infantry during the American Civil War. He was wounded in action at Gettysburg, and taken as a prisoner of war. |
| Notable works |
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| Signature | |
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Biography
Adams was born at Dorchester, Massachusetts, April 21, 1842. He came from revolutionary ancestors, being a descendant of Samuel Adams, as well as of Hannah Dustin, of Haverhill, Massachusetts.[3] He was the son of Ira and Mary Elizabeth Adams, née Senter. He had 9 siblings, and was the youngest of all of them.
He received a common school education, and at the age of fifteen entered into mercantile pursuits. During the American Civil War, at age 22, Adams enlisted in the 13th Massachusetts Infantry.[4] He was wounded in action at Gettysburg, and taken as a prisoner of war.[5][6] On his release from prison, he was detailed for hospital duty.[4]
In 1864 he returned to Boston and once more engaged in mercantile business.[3] He was married to Hattie Louise on October 11, 1870 in Boston. The couple had two children, Charles Mills and Ella Paige Adams.[7] In 1872, he began writing humorous verses for periodicals and newspapers in a burlesque broken-English imitation[8] of Pennsylvania German dialect.[6] His first published work was "The Puzzled Dutchman" which appeared in Our Young Folks.[4]
