Who was Stephen Blanding?

[shandy]

Hi,

I've recently read Stephen Blanding's Recollections of a sailor boy; or, The cruise of the gunboat Louisiana, which I enjoyed greatly. I've also seen it used as a source in several studies on the Union Navy. However, I couldn't find Mr Blanding in the Soldiers and Sailors Database (I don't have access to other databases).

So, does anyone know who Mr Blanding was? Is there information on him and the USS Louisiana available? I'd be especially interested in finding secondary literature or sources on the siege of Little Washington.

Thanks for your help!

All the best,
Thomas

 

[ikesdad]

Possibly a pen name. Many writers then used them. One of the better known was Clemens.