Before the poetic versions of the "John Maynard" story appeared in print, various prose versions were published. The early versions, usually entitled "The Helmsman of Lake Erie," were published in newspapers in 1845 and later with no attribution to any author. Norman Barry, a retired Gymnasium teacher from Bad Schussenried, Germany, has made a chart of all of the early (pre-Gough) versions he has found. In the 1860s, new versions of the story, with various titles and attributed to John B. Gough, began appearing in newspapers, school books, and collections of readings. The links below will take you to Norman's chart, a comparison he made of three of the early stories, and some other examples of these prose versions of the story.

ANONYMOUS

Norman Barry's chart of all of the pre-Gough versions of the story that he has found.

Norman Barry's comparison of three newspaper versions of "The Helmsman of Lake Erie."

Another comparison by Norman Barry that includes two more newspaper versions of "The Helmsman of Lake Erie."

The front page of the Baltimore Sun of August 30, 1845, containing a prose version of "The Helmsman of Lake Erie."

The front page of the The Wisconsin Argus of September 2, 1845, containing a prose version of "The Helmsman of Lake Erie."

An account of the story of John Maynard in the "Editors Drawer" of Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Volume 9, Issue 52, September 1854, held at Cornell University Library.

An account of the story of John Maynard with an interesting preface from The Standard, of Clarksville, Red River County, Texas, October 27, 1860, Vol. 17, No. 41.

An interesting partial account of the story from the New London Democrat, of New London, Connecticut, Saturday, February 12, 1848, Vol. III, No. 48, Whole No. 152, p. 1, c. 2.

An attempt to find out whether "The Helmsman of Lake Erie" is a true story, from The Portage County Advocate, Wednesday, September 13, 1854, Ravenna, Ohio, New Series: Vol. I, No. 24, p. 2, c. 6. Transcription by Norman Barry. An image of the actual article.

An image of a page of the Cleveland Daily Plain Dealer of September 10, 1845 (Vol. I, No. 134), showing the publication of "The Helmsman of Lake Erie" by B. B. French, followed by the anonymous prose version.

"THE HELMSMAN OF LAKE ERIE" IN LIGHT OF THE ROLE PLAYED BY RELIGION IN THE FICTIONAL WRITING OF JAMES FENIMORE COOPER -- OR, THE SECRET WHY THE GOOD MAN, WHEN DYING, DOES NOT GROAN, an essay by NORMAN BARRY.

GOUGH

Norman Barry's survey of the first John Bartholomew Gough Texts in 1860.

"Brave John Maynard!" by John B. Gough in The British Workman, No. 107, November, 1863

"The Pilot" by John B. Gough in The Royal Gallery of Poetry and Art: An Illustrated Book of the Favorite Poetic Gems of the English Language, the Choicest Productions of Authors, Living and Dead, for the Uncrowned Kings and Queens of American Homes (New York : N. D. Thompson Publishing Co., 1886), including images of the cover of the book, the dedication page, and the title page.

"John Maynard!" by John B. Gough in The Child's World Fifth Reader, by W. K. Tate, Sarah Withers, and Hetty S. Browne (Richmond, VA: Johnson Publishing Company, 1917)