Charles Wilkins Webber
Charles Wilkins Webber (1819-1856) was an American author and adventurer known for his writings about frontier life in Texas. Born in Russellville, Kentucky, he was educated by his physician parents, which fostered a love for literature and exploration. Webber's early experiences included enlisting in the Texas Rangers and undertaking ventures such as an unsuccessful expedition to locate gold mines in the West. He briefly attended Princeton Theological Seminary before moving to New York City to pursue a career in writing and editing.
Webber authored several stories and novels, including "Jack Long: Or, Lynch Law and Vengeance," utilizing the pen name C. Wilkins Eimi. His literary contributions, while praised by contemporaries like Edgar Allan Poe, were often viewed by scholars as lacking in literary depth, although they resonated with audiences of the time. In addition to his writing, he sought adventure through various pursuits, including a stint in Nicaragua with William Walker’s mercenaries, where he was believed to have been fatally wounded in 1856. Webber's work remains significant for its portrayal of the American frontier, making him a notable figure in the literature of that era.
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Subject Terms
Charles Wilkins Webber
Explorer
- Born: May 29, 1819
- Birthplace: Russellville, Kentucky
- Died: April 11, c. 1856
- Place of death: Rivas, Nicaragua
Biography
Charles Wilkins Webber was born on May 29, 1819, at Russellville, Kentucky. His parents, physician Augustine Webber and Agnes Maria Tannehill Webber, educated their son, providing classics and scientific books to read and encouraging him to explore nature in his surroundings. Webber yearned for more exciting activities. He traveled to Texas in 1838 and enlisted in the Texas Rangers.
Returning to Russellville, Webber briefly considered becoming a doctor. Instead, he began studies at the Princeton Theological Seminary in 1843 but quit within a year, choosing to settle in New York City to edit and write professionally. From 1847 to 1848, he served as associate editor of the American Whig Review. In 1849 at Boston, he married a woman only identified as E. M., an artist who created illustrations for his books.
Webber continued to seek adventure and ways to make money. He established the Centralia Exploring Expedition and attempted to locate gold mines near the Colorado and Gila Rivers, but Comanche Indians stole his horses. Literary friends discussed securing a diplomatic assignment for Webber yet did not approach political leaders for approval. Webber convinced the 1854 New York state legislature to charter a company to transport people and goods across deserts, but he never started this service. Instead, Webber in 1854 traveled to Nicaragua to fight with William Walker’s mercenaries. Historians believe Webber was fatally wounded in combat on or about April 11, 1856, in the Battle of Rivas.
In the early 1840’s, Webber began writing stories about his experiences with the Texas Rangers along the Texas border. He used the pen name C. Wilkins Eimi to publish his first magazine stories, which were serialized in New World during 1844. In February, 1845, Webber’s story, “Jack Long: Or, Lynch Law and Vengeance, a Tale of Texas Life,” appeared with his name as the byline in the American Review. Other magazines reprinted that story with varying titles and either Webber or Eimi as the author. However, when Webber expanded his story into a novel, Jack Long: Or, Shot in the Eye, a True Story of Texas Border Life, his authorship remained anonymous.
Webber’s Old Hicks, the Guide: Or, Adventures in the Camanche Country in Search of a Gold Mine, published in 1848, was the first book bearing his name. In 1851, the Hunter- Naturalist began publishing a multivolume series in which Webber explained how nonscientists could contribute to the understanding of natural history. Webber issued several editions of the first volume in an unsuccessful attempt to earn needed income.
Edgar Allan Poe liked Webber’s stories and many reviews of Webber’s writing, often written by such notable literary figures as Nathaniel Hawthorne, were positive. However, many of those comments were prepared by Webber’s friends or associates who hoped their endorsements would help him sell books. Scholars valued Webber as a pioneering author depicting frontier Texas but considered his writing weak and too nostalgic to have literary merits. His work appealed to contemporary American and European readers. Educators taught lessons using Webber’s stories printed in school texts.