Becker was born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.  By 1859, he had moved to New York where he went to work as an errand boy for Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper.  Although Becker had no formal training in art, Frank Leslie and his staff encouraged his natural talent, and by 1863, Leslie dispatched Becker to accompany the Union Army to send back drawings of what he observed.  In addition to major events including the battles of Gettysburg and Petersburg and President Linco (showing 500 of 2815 characters).