George Washington CABELL

   User ID: P00051532.

  General Notes:

CABLE, George Washington, author, was born in New Orleans, La., Oct. 12, 1844. His father was of Virginian parentage and his mother was a descendant from the Puritans. In 1859, upon the death of his father, he obtained employment as a clerk in a New Orleans store. In 1863 he enlisted in the 4th Mississippi cavalry and remained in the Confederate service until the close of the war, when he returned to New Orleans and obtained employment in a mercantile house. From there he went to Kosciusko, Miss., where he studied civil engineering. Later he went to the Têche country on a surveying and exploring party. He began his literary career by making occasional contributions to the New Orleans Picayune under the pseudonym "Drop Shot," and subsequently became editorially connected with that journal. Meanwhile he produced a tale entitled "Sieur George," which attracted favorable comment and was followed by other short tales of creole life, which were given a warm welcome as something entirely new in literature. In 1885 he accompanied Mark Twain on a tour of the cities of the north lecturing on creole life, and reading from his own works. He afterwards made his home in Massachusetts. Among his published writings are: Old Creole Days (1879, '80, '95); The Grandissimes (1880, '95); Madame Delphine (1881); The Creoles of Louisiana (1884); Dr. Sevier (1885, '94); The Silent South (1885); Bonaventure (1888); Strange True Stories of Louisiana (1889); The Negro Question (1890); John March (1894). He received the degree Litt. D. from Yale, 1901.