ABSTRACT

The Making of a Correspondent:

Benjamin Perley Poore’s Early Years in Washington, D.C.,

1847-1860

 

Joseph McKerns

Ohio State University

 

Benjamin Perley Poore was one of the first nationally known Washington correspondents in the pre-Civil War United States. By the time he died in 1887, he was considered the “Dean of the Washington Press Corps,” having covered national politics for nearly 40 years, most of that time for the Boston Journal. A native of Newburyport, Massachusetts, where he was born in 1820, Poore became a fixture in Washington society and political circles. His reputation rested on his knowing “men and measures,” i.e., he was close to influential members of Congress and presidents, especially Senator Charles Sumner, and President Ulysses S. Grant.

In addition to being the chief correspondent for the Journal, his articles on political, military and social affairs were published in newspapers and magazines across the United States. He also edited the Congressional Directory and the Congressional Record for many years, and served as clerk of several Congressional committees.

Poore’s career spanned the period when the Washington press corps emerged as a modern institution. This study examines that development from the “inside-out” as seen by one of the participants; one who was well-placed. Through the experiences of Poore, this study looks at the economic status of Washington correspondents, their values and ethics, and their routines and practices. As the press corps evolved, Poore was among those who played a large part in influencing its shape and character.