Digital Victorian Periodical Poetry

Poet, journalist, and military officer. Born in Kentucky. Son of Kean O’Hara who was a teacher. Educated at Centre College and St. Joseph Academy. Initially pursued law but entered journalism in 1845, before taking a job in the U.S. Treasury Department. Served as a U.S. Army officer during the Mexican–American War and later as a Confederate colonel during the Civil War. Resumed journalism after the war, co-founded the Louisville Times, and rejoined the U.S. Army, serving briefly on the Texas frontier. Contributed to Frankfort Yeoman and Mobile Register, advocating for American expansionism and Democratic Party ideals. Faced financial struggles in Georgia and Alabama, eventually dying in poverty. Known for his elegiac poems Bivouac of the Dead (1850) and The Old Pioneer. Biographical information: Oxford Reference; John E. Kleber, Encyclopedia of Louisville, (Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 2001), p. 666-667. (NM)