Civil War News
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June 2019 loved ones at war, perhaps even a bad image served better than none. As a note to researchers, use caution, as the value of Leslie’s work rests more strongly on the illustrations than with the narrative. Borrowing from his mentor Barnum, Leslie encouraged sensationalism among his writers.
Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper A name without a face, a battlefield absent terrain features, or accounts of pivotal events, all created confusion when reading printed stories. Frank Leslie solved each of these dilemmas. Born Henry Carter in England, as a young man, he gained valuable experience working with the London Illustrated News. Fearing his father would not approve of the son’s newfound livelihood, Carter wrote under the pseudonym, Frank Leslie. After immigrating to the United States in 1848, and officially changing his name to Frank
Frank Leslie
(Left) a reproduction of his 1895 Frank Leslie’s Illustrated History of the Civil War; (Right) a 2006 Smithsonian/HarperCollins title – Witness to the Civil War. Leslie, he created illustrations or photographs onto blocks of for the famous showman P.T. wood, which enabled quicker reBarnum. In 1855, Leslie launched production on the printed page. his weekly illustrated newspaper, (During the war, the technology which continued publication un- to print photos in newspapers did til 1922. For this story, we focus not yet exist.) Focusing on June (the cover on the war years and the coverage the Illustrated News provided date of this edition of Civil War a growing subscriber base. Folks News), a few of Leslie’s examples possessed such eagerness to covering June events during the “see” the people and places of the war seems in order. First up, the war, Leslie’s circulation doubled Battle of Kennesaw Mountain; after the first year of the conflict. usually spelled as ‘Kenesaw’ Operating under Leslie’s motto, during the war. The illustra“Never shoot over the heads of tion of Major General William the people,”—the newspaper’s T. Sherman’s troops attacking proprietor hired many writers to above, while not depicting the create stories to accompany the terrain very accurately, certainvarious illustrations. Leslie also ly provided readers with a menpioneered a new, faster technique tal picture of the battle. For those for carving artist’s drawings on the homefront concerned over
Illustration of the Battle of Kolb’s Farm, Marietta, Ga.
Illustration of U.S. Grant.
The adage of ‘making a mountain out of a molehill’ perhaps served as their style guide. Amid the desire to excite readers, inaccuracies, or less than ideal descriptions occurred. Note the caption above actually refers to the Battle of Kolb’s Farm fought on June 22, 1864. Another section recounting