“S” is for Simms, William Gilmore (1806-1870)

“S” is for Simms, William Gilmore (1806-1870). Poet, historian, novelist. Born in Charleston, Simms was a voracious reader and an acute observer. In 1832 he traveled to New York where he met a group of young writers and critics and their publishers. He returned to Charleston determined to make a living as a professional writer. During the next three years he wrote three novels, including The Yemassee and The Partisan. Published by Harper and Brothers of New York, these works were widely and warmly reviewed. They established Simms as one of his country’s leading literary lights. In his fiction Simms was a master of the romance which he likened more to epic poetry. William Gilmore Simms’s principal contributions to a broader understanding of South Carolina may be found in his poetry, history, his biographies, and perhaps most notably, his fiction.