Orville Victor

January 23, 1827 (age 83)

Sandusky, Ohio, United States

After completing a four-year course in the Norwalk Academy, Victor read law in the office of Charles B. Squire of Sandusky, contributed verse and prose to several magazines, and in 1852, became assistant editor, under Henry David Cooke, of the Daily Register. From his marriage almost to the close of his long life Victor was associated with various New York publishing houses that specialized in the production of cheap, popular books and magazines. For a number of years, he was the chief editor of Erastus F. Beadle's enterprises. He was the editor, at various times, of such magazines as the Cosmopolitan Art Journal, the United States Journal, Beadle's Magazine of To-day, the Western World, the Saturday Journal, and the Banner Weekly. These biographies were part of the Dime Biographical Library, one of the many "Libraries" that Victor edited. His work, in general, is that of a competent, industrious, and undistinguished publisher's drudge. In 1860, however, he made history and conferred a memorable boon on his compatriots by inventing the American dime novel. He himself signed none of the hundreds of such novels published by the firms of Beadle & Company and Beadle & Adams, but he first conceived the idea, worked out the details, and taught a corps of writers to produce the kind of story he wanted. Among the authors that he engaged and trained were Augustine Joseph Hickey Duganne, Mary A. Denison, Edward Sylvester Ellis, Ann Sophia Stephens, and his own wife. She produced at least one masterpiece of the kind, Maum Guinea and Her Plantation Children, published during the early part of the Civil War. The Beadle dime novels were simple, brisk, wholesome stories of adventure, usually in a Western or Southwestern setting, and were sold by the million to Northern soldiers. Their success provoked competition, and competition brought with it sensationalism. Victor died on March 14, 1910.

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The History, Civil, Political and Military, of the Southern Rebellion, Vol. 2: From Its Incipient Stages to Its Close; Comprehending, Also, All ... of Congress, Official Reports of Co

(Excerpt from The History, Civil, Political and Military, ...)

Excerpt from The History, Civil, Political and Military, of the Southern Rebellion, Vol. 2: From Its Incipient Stages to Its Close; Comprehending, Also, All Important State Papers, Ordinances of Secession, Proclamations, Proceedings of Congress, Official Reports of Commanders, Etc., Etc Victor Hugo, in his wonderful word-picture of Waterloo, says: There is a certain mo ment when the battle degenerates to the combat; when it individualizes itself, and disposes of the whole in details, which, as Napoleon remarks, 'belong to the biography of the regiment rather than to the history of the field'. The historian, hence, has the privilege of general ization. He can catch only the ensemble of. The conﬂict; nor, is it permitted the narrator conscientious for the truth, to eliminate more than the outward form of the frightful shape (cloud) called a battle. We have sought, in our exposition of campaigns and battles, to paint the whole - all that the future will be concerned ih - avoiding those particulars of detail which must have cumbered the narrative and have confused the reader's perceptions. We can afford to leave to others the work of writing the biographies of regiments: our province is to present the history of the War for the Union in its more comprehensive and general sense. In a few instances - where the heroism of men came out Clear against the battle-cloud like a Signet of glory - we have permitted the pen to trace the picture In detail. Such episodes serve to intensify the general impression which it is the historian's task to produce, and, hence, are admissible. We may repeat our thanks to correspondents for favors which have added materially to our data. We owe little to the Departments at Washington, but much to friends at head quarters, who, in the midst of onerous duties, could find time to answer our not always easily appeased demands for facts. Yet, after all, to the omnipotent, omnipresent. Daily journals do we owe most thanks. Their subtle agencies, spread everywhere over the vast field of operations - insinuating themsel'ves into the Departments, into Bureaus, into camp and staff councils - usurping the double office of witness and judge in the discharge of their duty - official and personal expositors - are now and ever must remain the historian's resources when all others fail. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The Private and Public Life of Abraham Lincoln Comprising a Full Account of His Early Years and a Succinct Record of His Career as Statesman and Pre

The Military Hand-book And Soldier's Manual Of Information: Embracing The Official Articles Of War, Regulations For The Enrollment And Draft (1862), ... With A Complete Dictionary Of Military Terms

( This work has been selected by scholars as being cultur...)

History of American Conspiracies. A record of treason, insurrection, rebellion, etc. in the United States of America from 1760 to 1860.

(Mark Twain once famously said "there was but one solitary...)

Incidents and Anecdotes of the War

(This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curat...)

Beadle's American Battles: Pittsburg Landing, (Shiloh,) and the Investment of Corinth; Drawn From Original Sources, Officers' Reports, Etc.; With Anecdotes, Incidents, Etc (Classic Reprint)

(Excerpt from Beadle's American Battles: Pittsburg Landing...)

Orville James Victor

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editor journalist theologian

Background

Orville James Victor was born on October 23, 1827, at Sandusky, Ohio, of German and English stock, the son, it is said, of Henry and Gertrude (Nash) Victor.

Career

After completing a four-year course in the Norwalk Academy, Victor read law in the office of Charles B. Squire of Sandusky, contributed verse and prose to several magazines, and in 1852, became assistant editor, under Henry David Cooke, of the Daily Register. From his marriage almost to the close of his long life Victor was associated with various New York publishing houses that specialized in the production of cheap, popular books and magazines. For a number of years, he was the chief editor of Erastus F. Beadle's enterprises.

He was the editor, at various times, of such magazines as the Cosmopolitan Art Journal, the United States Journal, Beadle's Magazine of To-day, the Western World, the Saturday Journal, and the Banner Weekly. These biographies were part of the Dime Biographical Library, one of the many "Libraries" that Victor edited. His work, in general, is that of a competent, industrious, and undistinguished publisher's drudge. In 1860, however, he made history and conferred a memorable boon on his compatriots by inventing the American dime novel. He himself signed none of the hundreds of such novels published by the firms of Beadle & Company and Beadle & Adams, but he first conceived the idea, worked out the details, and taught a corps of writers to produce the kind of story he wanted.

Among the authors that he engaged and trained were Augustine Joseph Hickey Duganne, Mary A. Denison, Edward Sylvester Ellis, Ann Sophia Stephens, and his own wife. She produced at least one masterpiece of the kind, Maum Guinea and Her Plantation Children, published during the early part of the Civil War. The Beadle dime novels were simple, brisk, wholesome stories of adventure, usually in a Western or Southwestern setting, and were sold by the million to Northern soldiers. Their success provoked competition, and competition brought with it sensationalism.

Victor died on March 14, 1910.

Achievements

Victor is cited as the originator of the dime novel. The now-defunct Orvil Township, in Bergen County, New Jersey, was named in his honor in 1885.

Works

The History, Civil, Political and Military, of the Southern Rebellion, Vol. 2: From Its Incipient Stages to Its Close; Comprehending, Also, All ... of Congress, Official Reports of Co The History, Civil, Political and Military, of the Southern Rebellion, Vol. 2: From Its Incipient Stages to Its Close; Comprehending, Also, All ... of Congress, Official Reports of Co

The Private and Public Life of Abraham Lincoln Comprising a Full Account of His Early Years and a Succinct Record of His Career as Statesman and Pre The Private and Public Life of Abraham Lincoln Comprising a Full Account of His Early Years and a Succinct Record of His Career as Statesman and Pre

$The Military Hand-book And Soldier\'s Manual Of Information: Embracing The Official Articles Of War, Regulations For The Enrollment And Draft (1862), ... With A Complete Dictionary Of Military Terms The Military Hand-book And Soldier\'s Manual Of Information: Embracing The Official Articles Of War, Regulations For The Enrollment And Draft (1862), ... With A Complete Dictionary Of Military Terms$ History of American Conspiracies. A record of treason, insurrection, rebellion, etc. in the United States of America from 1760 to 1860. History of American Conspiracies. A record of treason, insurrection, rebellion, etc. in the United States of America from 1760 to 1860.

History of American Conspiracies. A record of treason, insurrection, rebellion, etc. in the United States of America from 1760 to 1860. History of American Conspiracies. A record of treason, insurrection, rebellion, etc. in the United States of America from 1760 to 1860.

Incidents and Anecdotes of the War Incidents and Anecdotes of the War

$Beadle\'s American Battles: Pittsburg Landing, (Shiloh,) and the Investment of Corinth; Drawn From Original Sources, Officers\' Reports, Etc.; With Anecdotes, Incidents, Etc (Classic Reprint) Beadle\'s American Battles: Pittsburg Landing, (Shiloh,) and the Investment of Corinth; Drawn From Original Sources, Officers\' Reports, Etc.; With Anecdotes, Incidents, Etc (Classic Reprint)$

book
- History of American Conspiracies. A record of treason, insurrection, rebellion, etc. in the United States of America from 1760 to 1860.
  (Mark Twain once famously said "there was but one solitary...)
- Beadle's American Battles: Pittsburg Landing, (Shiloh,) and the Investment of Corinth; Drawn From Original Sources, Officers' Reports, Etc.; With Anecdotes, Incidents, Etc (Classic Reprint)
  (Excerpt from Beadle's American Battles: Pittsburg Landing...)
- The Military Hand-book And Soldier's Manual Of Information: Embracing The Official Articles Of War, Regulations For The Enrollment And Draft (1862), ... With A Complete Dictionary Of Military Terms
  ( This work has been selected by scholars as being cultur...)
- The History, Civil, Political and Military, of the Southern Rebellion, Vol. 2: From Its Incipient Stages to Its Close; Comprehending, Also, All ... of Congress, Official Reports of Co
  (Excerpt from The History, Civil, Political and Military, ...)
- Incidents and Anecdotes of the War
  (This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curat...)
- The Private and Public Life of Abraham Lincoln Comprising a Full Account of His Early Years and a Succinct Record of His Career as Statesman and Pre

Personality

Victor lived to see the genre that he had devised fall into disrepute and dwindle to insignificance. His home for many years was at Hohokus, New Jersey, where, during his wife's lifetime, he liked to entertain his literary friends.

Connections

In July 1856, Victor married Metta Victoria Fuller, who was at that time a more important literary personage than he was.

Mother:: Gertrude (Nash) Victor
father:: Henry Victor
Wife:: Metta Victoria Fuller
Daughter:: Lucy Victor

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book

The History, Civil, Political and Military, of the Southern Rebellion, Vol. 2: From Its Incipient Stages to Its Close; Comprehending, Also, All ... of Congress, Official Reports of Co

The Private and Public Life of Abraham Lincoln Comprising a Full Account of His Early Years and a Succinct Record of His Career as Statesman and Pre

The Military Hand-book And Soldier's Manual Of Information: Embracing The Official Articles Of War, Regulations For The Enrollment And Draft (1862), ... With A Complete Dictionary Of Military Terms

History of American Conspiracies. A record of treason, insurrection, rebellion, etc. in the United States of America from 1760 to 1860.

Incidents and Anecdotes of the War

Beadle's American Battles: Pittsburg Landing, (Shiloh,) and the Investment of Corinth; Drawn From Original Sources, Officers' Reports, Etc.; With Anecdotes, Incidents, Etc (Classic Reprint)

Orville James Victor

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