Chronicling the Civil War
The Civil War was one of the first wars to be extensively covered in the press on both sides. Newspaper and magazine journalists from the North, the South, and overseas were given amazing freedom to follow armies, observe battles, and talk with commanders. The resulting stories have helped historians understand what happened during the war and why.
William T. Sherman, who found himself the frequent subject of journalistic ridicule, was not a fan of the press. He once noted: “Reporters print their limited and tainted observations as the history of events they neither see nor comprehend.” Others, however, avidly followed the war in their favorite newspapers. Generals sometimes learned more from enemy newspapers than from spy reports.
Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis were often pilloried in the press for their actions and policies, and their military leaders also found themselves subject to ridicule and attack, especially when they didn't win. Indeed, military success always seemed to play a role in whether the government was perceived positively or negatively. Reporters covering field action risked their lives to get the story. Daily newspapers and weekly news magazines such as Harper's Weeklyand Leslie's Weeklysent reporters, photographers, and artists out by the dozens to cover the action, and many lost their lives. Photography was still in its infancy, so most newspapers and magazines relied on sketch artists to capture the essence of a particular event or scene. It wasn't uncommon for artists to sit on hills overlooking violent battles, sketching as fast as they could, with the intent of fleshing out their illustrations afterward.
