Derby was a soldier, cartographer, humorist, engineer, and practical joker. He surveyed the Sacramento Valley, the Tulare Valley, San Diego Harbor, the mouth of the Colorado River. His humor concepts were used and "expanded" by Mark Twain. He knew and interacted with General Winfield Scott, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, and William Tecumseh Sherman. He was a classmate of George Pickett, George McClellan, and Stonewall Jackson. Derby lived in San Diego from 1853-54 in the Derby-Pendleton House, now located on the Whaley House grounds.
George Horatio Derby, also known as John Phoenix and as Squibob, is the Father of American Wit. He influenced Mark Twain.Modern comedy owes a debt to John Phoenix (for example Andy Kaufman and Jim Carey).Laugh out loud at his wit;enjoy his humor, as relevant now as it was 160 years ago.Discover for your self this master of the use of the English language.The last book that Abraham Lincoln read was by John Phoenix. Theodore Roosevelt said he could be tested on Phoenix's books. Both men enjoyed his humor.Many of the stories contained in this book have never been published.Several stories were written at Andover in the 1830's. Some were written while Derby was at the Military Academy at West Point (Class of 1846)He was truly a SOLDIER JOKER. Humor dissected ceases to be funny. In these pages, Derby's humor is special and is great fun, and is left to speak for itself without annotation. Your role in reading this book is to enjoy.
George Horatio Derby (1823-1861) aka John Q.Phoenix, aka SquibobLieutenant Topographical Engineers of the United States Army. He surveyed and mapped the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys in 1849. This volume combines Derby's cartographicand literary skills (his "day" job). Derby observed and describedfirst hand the events, people, and places of the early CaliforniaGold Rush. He surveyed Camp Far West, described Sutter's HockFarm, stayed at Johnson's Crossing, and stood on theNorth Butte of the Sutter Buttes. He was at Coloma, Jamestown, Mormon'sIsland, Cordua Bar, and Rose Bar in 1849 and illustrated the gold mining process as it was occuring. He mappedthe courses of the Feather,Yuba, Bear, and Sacramento Rivers.He viewed and described the emigrants in 1849 as they arrived inCalifornia. His humorous writings as John Phoenix and Squibob werebased on first hand experiences surveying the Yuba-Sutter area.(Thiswas ten years before Mark Twain arrived in California.)
SOLDIER JOKER Cerro Gordo of the Mexican War 1. The battle that won the war. 2. The war that won the continent. 3. The battle that made the man---Robert E. Lee 4. The plan that won the battle. 5. The war that served as a training ground for the Civil War. 6. The forgotten letter by the forgotten man of the forgettable war that led to the war that divided us. 7. The letter written by the Father of American Wit (He ante-dated Mark Twain by ten years).
George Horatio Derby was a soldier, a cartographer,a humorist, and an artist.This book is a compilation of cartoons depicting Derby art (aka Squibob, aka John Phoenix)Many of the drawings are Derby's. Some drawings are done by others. All celebrate the talent of George Horatio Derby (1823-1861)
John Phoenix aka Lieutenant George Horatio Derby was in Oregon during the years 1855-1856. He was in charge of building roads in what was wilderness. While there the wildly successful book PHOENIXIANA was published. No book tour for Phoenix. He dealt with the government bureaucracy and lack of support. He kept his humor and satire intact. This book supports his satire and his precision, inherent in an engineer.
The Pensacola Lighthouse was built by Lt. George Horatio Derby (The Soldier Joker). He was the 8th District Lighthouse Engineer (1857-1859). The Pensacola Lighthouse that was lit in 1859 survived the Civil War (including bombardment), two lightning strikes, an earthquake, and ALL of the hurricanes and tornadoes that have plagued the Gulf Coast. He was the Engineer of record for the lighting of the lighthouses of Sand Island and Pensacola on January 1, 1859.
George Horatio Derby (1823-1861) attended West Point 1842-1846. George met Charles and Martha Hitchcock. Their daughter was Lillie Hitchcock (Coit). The Hitchcocks and Samuel Clemens would be friends. Mark Twain would be affected by George Derby. The Hitchcock Legacy lives in The Charles and Martha Hitchcock Graduate Lectureship at U.C.Berkeley. The Lillie Hitchcock Coit Legacy is in the form of Coit Tower in San Francisco, The legacy of Sam Clemens is in the form of Mark Twain. The Legacy of George Horatio Derby is in the form of books- Phoenixiana and The Squibob Papers. His humor touched his contemporaries: General Winfield Scott, U.S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, W.T. Sherman, along with his classmates McClellan, Jackson, and Pickett. His legacy as a Topographical Engineer includes maps and surveys of California. He built five Lighthouses on the Alabama Gulf Coast. The major suspect in the cause of Derby's death is mercury poisoning.
Derby was a soldier, cartographer, humorist, engineer, and practical joker. He surveyed the Sacramento Valley, the Tulare Valley, San Diego Harbor, the mouth of the Colorado River. His humor concepts were used and "expanded" by Mark Twain. He knew and interacted with General Winfield Scott, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, and William Tecumseh Sherman. He was a classmate of George Pickett, George McClellan, and Stonewall Jackson. Derby lived in San Diego from 1853-54 in the Derby-Pendleton House, now located on the Whaley House grounds.
George Horatio Derby (1823-1861) attended West Point 1842-1846. George met Charles and Martha Hitchcock. Their daughter was Lillie Hitchcock (Coit). The Hitchcocks and Samuel Clemens would be friends. Mark Twain would be affected by George Derby. The Hitchcock Legacy lives in The Charles and Martha Hitchcock Graduate Lectureship at U.C.Berkeley. The Lillie Hitchcock Coit Legacy is in the form of Coit Tower in San Francisco, The legacy of Sam Clemens is in the form of Mark Twain. The Legacy of George Horatio Derby is in the form of books- Phoenixiana and The Squibob Papers. His humor touched his contemporaries: General Winfield Scott, U.S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, W.T. Sherman, along with his classmates McClellan, Jackson, and Pickett. His legacy as a Topographical Engineer includes maps and surveys of California. He built five Lighthouses on the Alabama Gulf Coast. The major suspect in the cause of Derby's death is mercury poisoning.
This will help us customize your experience to showcase the most relevant content to your age group
Please select from below
Login
Not registered?
Sign up
Already registered?
Success – Your message will goes here
We'd love to hear from you!
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.