Hugh Wynne Explained

For the early American colonist of the same name see List of Jamestown colonistsHugh Wynne was a popular American novel by Silas Weir Mitchell, who was also a medical doctor, published in 1897. The story is recounted in autobiographical form from the perspective of an American patriot during the American Revolution who has a strict father. He eventually serves under General George Washington and has various adventures as well as a love interest playing out during the Revolutionary War era.^[1] The Bookman reported it to be the secondmost-bestselling book in America for 1898.

Much of the book takes place in Philadelphia.^[2] The Bookman gave the book high praise.^[2]

The book was first serialized in The Century from November 1896 through October 1897.^{[3] [4]}

The full title of the book is Hugh Wynne, Free Quaker, Sometime Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel on the Staff of His Excellency General Washington.

Richard J. Beamish used the novel as the basis for his libretto to Camille Zeckwer's cantata La Mischianza.^[5]

See also

• Publishers Weekly list of bestselling novels in the United States in the 1890s

Notes and References

1. Web site: Silas Weir Mitchell (1829-1914). Hugh Wynne, Free Quaker. Keller, ed. 1917. The Reader's Digest of Books.
2. MacArthur, James. A Great American Novel, The Bookman, pp. 139-41 (October 1897)
3. Cervetti, Nancy. S. Weir Mitchell, 1829-1914: Philadelphia's Literary Physician, p. 217 (2012)
4. Roberts, Charles G.D. (November 27, 1897). A Fighting Quaker, The Illustrated American
5. Web site: The Mischianza, Op.34 (Zeckwer, Camille W.) - IMSLP: Free Sheet Music PDF Download . 2023-04-22 . imslp.org.