Joscelyn: A Tale of the Revolution marks the final work of Simms' eight Revolutionary novels, although it is first in the story chronology. Set in the final six months of 1775, the romance depicts the beginnings of the Revolutionary conflict between patriots and loyalists in the backcountries of Georgia and South Carolina. Simms mixed historical figures, such as William Henry Drayton and Thomas Browne, with fictional ones to illustrate the dramatic tensions and implications of the early partisan conflict. The narrative centers upon a loyalist Georgia family, the Dunbars, whose son, Walter, is drawn into conflict with the title character, Stephen Joscelyn, a crippled teacher from South Carolina, over a misunderstanding compounded by their shared passion for Angelica Kirkland. Simms's story is commendable for its accurate portrayal of the complex loyalties and conflicting interests that divided families in the early stages of the RevolutionSimms's sympathies are clearly with the revolutionaries, but Joscelyn aptly and sensitively presents the Dunbar's conflicting loyalties.
Simms's story is commendable for its accurate portrayal of the complex loyalties and conflicting interests that divided families in the early stages of the RevolutionSimms's sympathies are clearly with the revolutionaries, but Joscelyn aptly and sensitively presents the Dunbar's conflicting loyalties.
William Gilmore Simms (April 17, 1806 June 11, 1870) was a poet, novelist and historian from the American South. His writings achieved great prominence during the 19th century, with Edgar Allan Poe pronouncing him the best novelist America had ever produced. He is still known among literary scholars as a major force in antebellum Southern literature. He is also remembered for his strong support of slavery and for his opposition to Uncle Tom's Cabin, in response to which he wrote reviews and a novel.
Former head of the South Carolina Historical Society, the Southern Historical Collection, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, David Moltke-Hansen served as the founding director of the digital William Gilmore Simms Initiatives of the University of South Carolina, USA.
