pieces for the theatres, but they had a shorter existence. In New York, he at once associated with the brilliant set of contemporary Bohemians, among whom he was ranked as the ablest. At the weekly dinners that were given by John Brougham, or at the nightly suppers at Pfaff's on Broadway, he was the soul of the entertainment. When the American Civil War began in 1861, O'Brien joined the 7th regiment of the New York National Guard, hoping to be sent to the front. He was stationed at Camp Cameron outside Washington, D.C. for six weeks. When his regiment returned to New York he received an appointment on the staff of General Frederick W. Lander. He was severely wounded in a skirmish on 26 February 1862, and lingered until April, when he died of tetanus at Cumberland, Maryland. His friend, William Winter, collected The Poems and Stories of Fitz James O'Brien, to which are added personal recollections by old associates that survived him (Boston, 1881). Mr. Winter also wrote a chapter on O'Brien in his book Brown Heath and Blue Bells (New York, 1895). Bibliography Notable Short stories "The Diamond Lens" (1858) "From Hand to Mouth" (1858) "The Wondersmith" (1859) "What Was It? A Mystery" (1859) "How I Overcame My Gravity" (1864) "The Lost Room" (1858) was republished in the premier issue (Fall 1949) of The Magazine of Fantasy. Collections The Poems and Stories of Fitz James O'Brien (1881) Collected Stories ( Collected Stories And Tales on dustjacket ) Edited with an introduction by Edward J. O'Brien ( Albert & Charles Boni, New York 1925) References Initial text from Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography (1887–1889)'' External links Violetbooks Bibliography of O'Brien's supernatural stories Bibliography of O'Brien's Works "The Lost Room" at Manybooks The Vault at Pfaff's; O'Brien, Fitz-James (1828-1862) "Michael Fitz-James O'Brien (1826-1862)" by Randal A. Everts @ http://thestrangecompany.us/index.php/michael_fitz-james_o_brien/ Irish science fiction writers Union Army officers 1828 births 1862 deaths People from County Cork Irish soldiers in the United States Army Irish male dramatists and playwrights Irish male poets American male dramatists and playwrights Irish journalists Irish male short story writers 19th-century Irish short story writers Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923) People of New York (state) in the American Civil War Deaths from tetanus Union military personnel killed in the American Civil War Writers from New York (state) 19th-century Irish dramatists and playwrights 19th-century Irish poets 19th-century