Existing comment:
Early years:
At age 13, George Alfred Townsend began to write a story. Although he never finished it, from then on he pursued a writing career. In high school, he wrote for the school paper and became its editor. Local newspapers published his articles. He wrote poems and essays and wrote about history, researching subjects then going on-site to experience the events in his imagination.
After Townsend graduated from high school, the Philadelphia Inquirer hired him as a reporter and editorial writer. A year later, a rival paper, the Press, hired him as city editor and soon also made him drama editor. Despite these responsibilities, he continued to write poetry and even wrote a play.
War correspondent and European interlude:
While Townsend was working for the Philadelphia Press, the New York Herald, a newspaper with national circulation, hired him to report Philadelphia area news. In 1862, the Herald offered him a fulltime job reporting from the frontlines, and he accepted.
After several months of following the troops, Townsend caught "Chickahominy fever" and left for Europe to recuperate. Landing in England, he tried unsuccessfully to give lectures about the Civil War. He then spent a year in France, where he wrote stories and poems about his experiences. In 1880 he published these writings in a book called Bohemian Days.
Townsend returned to the United States in 1864, just in time to go back to the frontlines to report the end of the Civil War. By then, the government required newspapers to print the names of reporters along with their work. Townsend's reports to the New York World made his reputation and brought him popular recognition.
Lecturer:
In the 1860s, public lectures were a popular form of entertainment. Townsend's reports from the war and his letters about the John Wilkes Booth conspiracy created a demand for him as a lecturer. American tours from 1865 through 1867 and a European tour in 1867 kept him on the road and were a major source of his income.
Political correspondent:
In 1867, Townsend moved to Washington, D.C., to study how the American government worked. He began to write daily letters that he sent out by telegraph to newspapers throughout the nation, including the Chicago Tribune, the Cleveland Leader, the Cincinnati Commercial, and the Missouri Democrat.
For forty years, Townsend dictated two columns every day, adding up to more than 5 million words. This correspondence focused mainly on politics, but also included comments on many of the issues of the day. His work brought him fame and a substantial income. |