French writer Gustave Aimard died #OTD in 1883.
Abandoned by his parents, at the age of 9 he ran away from the home of his adoptive family, the Gloux, and signed on as a ship's boy. He landed in Patagonia, then headed for North America, where he led an adventurous life, notably as a gold prospector and trapper. His experiences in Mexico, the United States, and South America provided rich material for his later writing.
Books Gustave Aimard at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/5146