Clowns and Cannons: The American Circus During the Civil War (Clipper Studies in the Theatre,)

William L. Slout's Clowns and Cannons: The American Circus during the Civil War is something of a mixed bag. It's principal value is as a reference work as it has an extraordinary amount of factual detail on the circuses and the principal circus figures of the period, telling you pretty much what circuses were operating under what names in each year of the Civil War, where they were showing, who their principal performers were, even down to things like how many employees, wagons and various types of animals they had and what their box office was in different towns. The chapters are organized by year, from 1860 to 1865, and at the end of each chapter there is a brief summary of which circuses and menageries were on tour that year as well as an additional summary of obituaries for the various circus folk (and sometimes famous animals) who died during the year. Much of Slout's research apparently involved digging extensively through issues of the New York Clipper, a newspaper that preceded Variety (into which it was later absorbed) as the entertainment newspaper of its day and kept everyone abreast of who was doing what in the circus business as well as in other forms of entertainment.Reference value aside however, where Clowns and Cannons falls short is as a book to simply be read. Slout's style is more than a little dry ('parched' might be a better word here), and long sections rarely seem to go beyond a relating of the factual information, of which, as previously noted, there is an abundance. Slout does not provide much in the way of overview, and often fails to give explanation of certain terms that the reader may either be unfamiliar with or may not realize had a different meaning back in the 1860's, like what a "Pete Jenkins" act was and what a "benefit" performance was usually for. The following is a typical passage that illustrates both the book's merits in terms of detail and the dryness in terms of reading:"Spalding & Rogers' Ocean Circus, escaping the disheveled conditions within this country, left for South America at the end of March [1862] on the clipper Hannah. They took with them, in addition to a troupe of equestrians, acrobats, gymnasts, etc., a boatload of new equipment styled for a tropical climate. The cane seat folding chairs and settees were manufactured by E. Chichester on Pearl Street, New York City. The canvas pavilion was made by Henry Dougherty, South Street. Cornelius & Baker of Philadelphia supplied the chandeliers and fixtures. Various decorations and paraphernalia were designed by James C. Foster. Robert Walker was respondible for the extensive wardrobe. The stud of horses were the best the market could offer and included the trained animal Hiram. Rogers accompanied the expedition while Dr. Gilbert Spalding remained behind to look after their other enterprises."Slout does cover some of the unique problems presented by the Civil War. For one, most American circuses were based in the North, and when war broke out, the Southern states as a market were cut off, forcing the circuses to compete with each other more intensely in the North, to the point of some circuses playing the same towns on the same days. The war itself could sometimes interfere, the sudden changes in fortune forcing abrupt changes in plan for show dates and places. And the frequent unruliness of soldiers made the circus business, which was already a fairly rowdy affair, even more rowdy and prone to confrontations and fights breaking out. Examples of these problems are found in accounts like these:"With Gen. Thomas' Union soldiers encamped around the city [Nashville] waiting to attack Hood's Confederate forces, money was plentiful. Prices were 75c and 50c for admission, 25c for an orange and the same for a glass of pink lemonade. The tent being pitched in 'the very heart of the city' supported the expectation that the show would escape the shelling from the rebel forces nearby. This proved to be wrong; for, according to John Glenroy, who was with the troupe, during the six-week stay the company experienced numerous cannonades, with shells sometimes landing within twenty yards of the canvas. If that wasn't enough, during a sweep for horses, a Union army officer expropriated eighteen of the circus' animals, paying the sum of $1,800. This left the company with two mules and a single, lame ring horse....--Frank Howes complained to Gen. Thomas about his loss of horses. Thomas replied he could do nothing. But by good fortune, the following day Vice-President Johnson arrived in Nashville. The persistent Howes arranged a meeting with him, explained the dilemma, and pleaded for help. Somehow he convinced Johnson to seek advice from the President and, after an exchange of telegraph messages, Lincoln suggested that the animals be released on the condition that substitutes were found by the circus management. It took Howes nearly a week to meet the terms of the agreement, but finally Howes & Norton had their horses back.""An unexpected and quite astounding episode occurred at the Fort[Leavenworth] performances. Following Mlle. Louise's outdoor exhibition on the wire, a drum major of the 14th Illinois Regiment stepped forward and announced he could do better. He was immediately challenged by one of the company, who offered to bet him $25 that he could not walk ten feet up the incline. Boldly accepting the wager, the soldier pulled off his boots and mounted the wire in his stocking feet. The disbelieving showman then made the proposal that if he performed the feat successfully his entire regiment would be passed into the tent at no charge. With this, the soldier walked up the wire to the center pole, made an about face in military fashion, and began his descent. In an act of arrogance, about half-way down he stood on one foot, sticking the other out straight, and then sat down on the wire with both legs extende. After arriving again on solid ground, he was greeted by lusty cheers from his comrades.--That evening the wire-walking drum major arrived with a number of his regiment expecting to be ushered into the tent for a complimentary performance. To his surprise, the circus people refused to honor their previous offer. With this, quite a row ensued. Four people were knocked to the ground, the treasurer's box was upset, and the canvas was ripped in places. Further damage was forestalled when the soldiers were finally let in."The book does offer an abundance of illustrations, everything from photos and drawings of prominent circus figures of the period to copies of handbills and posters advertising what individual circuses were claiming to offer. There are also quite a few maps included, showing where certain circuses were touring and their proximity to famous battles that were sometimes going on at the time.I would recommend this book to anyone with a serious interest in the history of the American circus as it would make a valuable contribution as a reference work. I would also recommend this book to anyone with the patience to wade through the dry parts to dig out the interesting anecdotes and accounts of what various circuses and performers experienced during the war. It will definitely contribute to the reader's understanding of both the subject and the period.