Bill Hendrick chronicles the Civil War through the eyes of an Atlanta newspaper – Reporter Newspapers & Atlanta Intown

As a newspaper reporter, Invoice Hendrick traveled Europe and Latin America to cowl tales. When he determined to write down a e book, nonetheless, he regarded no additional than the Atlanta Historical past Middle.

Hendrick camped out for six months on the middle in Buckhead, pouring over microfilm to analysis how The Atlanta Every day Intelligencer, considered one of Atlanta’s most influential newspapers on the time, wrote in regards to the Civil Struggle.

The Intelligencer constructing was on Whitehall Road in downtown Atlanta, subsequent to a railroad depot. The newspaper was a weekly publication from 1849 to 1854, when it turned a every day. When Gen. William T. Sherman marched by way of Atlanta, The Intelligencer was the one paper to outlive.

Hendrick, with historian Stephen Davis, co-authored “The Atlanta Every day Intelligencer Covers the Civil Struggle.” It’s a examine on how town’s newspaper narrated the battle’s occasions, how the paper obtained the information proper (or unsuitable) and the way editorial columns mirrored a pro-Accomplice viewpoint.

The Intelligencer was considered one of 105 every day and weekly newspapers in Georgia throughout the Civil Struggle. Editor John H. Steele used wired messages and letters from troopers as sources, generally printing falsities as information. The newspaper was notable for its endurance whereas different publications suffered from inflation, enemy occupation in close by cities, workers leaving to affix the military, and lack of supplies.

Throughout his 40-year profession on the Atlanta Journal-Structure writing about enterprise, science and well being, Hendrick chased assignments on the Civil Struggle. However don’t name him a historical past buff – he says the time period is demeaning.

“I did as many Civil Struggle tales as I might, each time I had an opportunity. Frankly, editors in all probability thought-about me somewhat troublesome as a result of I requested a lot,” mentioned Hendrick, who left the AJC in 2008.

Hendrick and Davis had been having lunch sooner or later when the subject of writing a e book got here up. Davis has written a minimum of 4 books on battles and outcomes of the Civil Struggle.

“I instructed Steve I used to be going to write down a e book sometime in regards to the Atlanta Every day Intelligencer, the principle paper in Atlanta from 1859 until 1871. He mentioned, ‘Let’s do it collectively,’ and knocked out a proposal in two days,” recalled Hendrick.

They every introduced strengths: Davis knew about battles and technique and Hendrick knew about journalism and human curiosity.

“I actually needed to search out out what Atlanta was like throughout the Civil Struggle, and the way newspapers labored within the days earlier than typewriters,” Hendrick mentioned. “I had procrastinated for 15 years, and I’d nonetheless be procrastinating if not for Steve.”