The rest I will kill : William Tillman and the unforgettable story of how a free black man refused to become a slave

A free black man -- To sea -- The capture -- Now is our time -- The return -- A hero's welcome -- A matter of compensation -- Passing judgment -- The fury continues -- Epilogue: a black man's fate.;A surprising work of narrative history and detection that illuminates one of the most daring--and long-forgotten--heroes of the Civil War. Independence Day, 1861: the schooner S.J. Waring sets sail from New York on a routine voyage to South America. Seventeen days later, it limps back into New York's frenzied harbor with the ship's black steward, William Tillman, at the helm. While the story of that ill-fated voyage is one of the most harrowing tales of captivity and survival on the high seas, it has, almost unbelievably, been lost to history. Now reclaiming Tillman as the real American hero he was, historian Brian McGinty dramatically returns readers to that riotous, explosive summer of 1861, when the country was tearing apart at the seams and the Union army was in near shambles following a humiliating defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run. Desperate for good news, the North was soon riveted by reports of an incident that occurred a few hundred miles off the coast of New York, where the Waring had been overtaken by a marauding crew of Confederate privateers. While the white sailors became chummy with their Southern captors, free black man William Tillman was perfectly aware of the fate that awaited him in the ruthless, slave-filled ports south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Stealthily biding his time until a moonlit night nine days after the capture, Tillman single-handedly killed three officers of the privateer crew, then took the wheel and pointed it home. Yet, with no experience as a navigator, only one other helper, and a war-torn Atlantic seaboard to contend with, his struggle had just begun. It took five perilous days at sea--all thrillingly recounted here--before the Waring returned to New York Harbor, where the story of Tillman's shipboard courage became such a tabloid sensation that he was not only put on the bill of Barnum's American Museum but also proclaimed to be the "first hero" of the Civil War. As McGinty evocatively shows, however, in the horrors of the war then engulfing the nation, memories of his heroism--even of his identity--were all but lost to history. As such, The Rest I Will Kill becomes a thrilling and historically significant work, as well as an extraordinary journey that recounts how a free black man was able to defy efforts to make him a slave and become an unlikely glimmer of hope for a disheartened Union army in the war-battered North. A Surprising Work Of Narrative History And Detection That Illuminates One Of The Most Daring--and Long-forgotten--heroes Of The Civil War. Independence Day, 1861: The Schooner S.j. Waring Sets Sail From New York On A Routine Voyage To South America. Seventeen Days Later, It Limps Back Into New York's Frenzied Harbor With The Ship's Black Steward, William Tillman, At The Helm. While The Story Of That Ill-fated Voyage Is One Of The Most Harrowing Tales Of Captivity And Survival On The High Seas, It Has, Almost Unbelievably, Been Lost To History. Now Reclaiming Tillman As The Real American Hero He Was, Historian Brian Mcginty Dramatically Returns Readers To That Riotous, Explosive Summer Of 1861, When The Country Was Tearing Apart At The Seams And The Union Army Was In Near Shambles Following A Humiliating Defeat At The First Battle Of Bull Run.^ Desperate For Good News, The North Was Soon Riveted By Reports Of An Incident That Occurred A Few Hundred Miles Off The Coast Of New York, Where The Waring Had Been Overtaken By A Marauding Crew Of Confederate Privateers. While The White Sailors Became Chummy With Their Southern Captors, Free Black Man William Tillman Was Perfectly Aware Of The Fate That Awaited Him In The Ruthless, Slave-filled Ports South Of The Mason-dixon Line. Stealthily Biding His Time Until A Moonlit Night Nine Days After The Capture, Tillman Single-handedly Killed Three Officers Of The Privateer Crew, Then Took The Wheel And Pointed It Home. Yet, With No Experience As A Navigator, Only One Other Helper, And A War-torn Atlantic Seaboard To Contend With, His Struggle Had Just Begun.^ It Took Five Perilous Days At Sea--all Thrillingly Recounted Here--before The Waring Returned To New York Harbor, Where The Story Of Tillman's Shipboard Courage Became Such A Tabloid Sensation That He Was Not Only Put On The Bill Of Barnum's American Museum But Also Proclaimed To Be The First Hero Of The Civil War. As Mcginty Evocatively Shows, However, In The Horrors Of The War Then Engulfing The Nation, Memories Of His Heroism--even Of His Identity--were All But Lost To History. As Such, The Rest I Will Kill Becomes A Thrilling And Historically Significant Work, As Well As An Extraordinary Journey That Recounts How A Free Black Man Was Able To Defy Efforts To Make Him A Slave And Become An Unlikely Glimmer Of Hope For A Disheartened Union Army In The War-battered North. 1861. The Schooner S.j. Waring Sets Sail From New York On A Routine Voyage To South America. Seventeen Days Later, It Limped Back Into New York's Harbor With The Ship's Black Steward, William Tillman, At The Helm. The Waring Had Been Overtaken By A Marauding Crew Of Confederate Privateers, And While The White Sailors Became Chummy With Their Southern Captors, Free Black Man William Tillman Was Aware Of The Fate That Awaited Him In The Slave-filled Ports South Of The Mason-dixon Line. Biding His Time For Nine Days, Tillman Single-handedly Killed Three Officers Of The Privateer Crew, Then Took The Wheel And Pointed It Home. Mcginty Shows How, In The Horrors Of The War Then Engulfing The Nation, Memories Of Tillman's Heroism-- Even Of His Identity-- Were All But Lost To History. A Free Black Man -- To Sea -- The Capture -- Now Is Our Time -- The Return -- A Hero's Welcome -- A Matter Of Compensation -- Passing Judgment -- The Fury Continues -- Epilogue: A Black Man's Fate. Brian Mcginty. Includes Bibliographical References (pages [217]-226) And Index. A surprising work of narrative history and detection that illuminates one of the most daringand long-forgottenheroes of the Civil War. Independence Day, 1861. The schooner S. J. Waring sets sail from New York on a routine voyage to South America. Seventeen days later, it limps back into New Yorks frenzied harbor with the ship's black steward, William Tillman, at the helm. While the story of that ill-fated voyage is one of the most harrowing tales of captivity and survival on the high seas, it has, almost unbelievably, been lost to history. Now reclaiming Tillman as the real American hero he was, historian Brian McGinty dramatically returns readers to that riotous, explosive summer of 1861, when the country was tearing apart at the seams and the Union army was in near shambles following a humiliating defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run. Desperate for good news, the North was soon riveted by reports of an incident that occurred a few hundred miles off the coast of New York, where the Waring had been overtaken by a marauding crew of Confederate privateers. While the white sailors became chummy with their Southern captors, free black man William Tillman was perfectly aware of the fate that awaited him in the ruthless, slave-filled ports south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Stealthilybiding his time until a moonlit night nine days after the capture, Tillman single-handedly killed three officers of the privateer crew, then took the wheel and pointed it home. Yet, with no experience as a navigator, only one other helper, and a war-torn Atlantic seaboard to contend with, his struggle had just begun. It took five perilous days at seaall thrillingly recounted herebefore the Waring returned to New York Harbor, where the story of Tillman's shipboard courage became such a tabloid sensation that he was not only put on the bill of Barnums American Museum but also proclaimed to be the "first hero" of the Civil War. As McGinty evocatively shows, however, in the horrors of the war then engulfing the nation, memories of his heroismeven of his identitywere all but lost to history. As such, The Rest I Will Kill becomes a thrilling and historically significant work, as well as an extraordinary journey that recounts how a free black man was able to defy efforts to make him a slave and become an unlikely glimmer of hope for a disheartened Union army in the war-battered North. 8 pages of illustrations A surprising work of narrative history and detection that illuminates one of the most daring—and long-forgotten—heroes of the Civil War. Independence Day, 1861. The schooner S. J. Waring sets sail from New York on a routine voyage to South America. Seventeen days later, it limps back into New York’s frenzied harbor with the ship's black steward, William Tillman, at the helm. While the story of that ill-fated voyage is one of the most harrowing tales of captivity and survival on the high seas, it has, almost unbelievably, been lost to history. Now reclaiming Tillman as the real American hero he was, historian Brian McGinty dramatically returns readers to that riotous, explosive summer of 1861, when the country was tearing apart at the seams and the Union army was in near shambles following a humiliating defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run. Desperate for good news, the North was soon riveted by reports of an incident that occurred a few hundred miles off the coast of New York, where the Waring had been overtaken by a marauding crew of Confederate privateers. While the white sailors became chummy with their Southern captors, free black man William Tillman was perfectly aware of the fate that awaited him in the ruthless, slave-filled ports south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Stealthily biding his time until a moonlit night nine days after the capture, Tillman single-handedly killed three officers of the privateer crew, then took the wheel and pointed it home. Yet, with no experience as a navigator, only one other helper, and a war-torn Atlantic seaboard to contend with, his struggle had just begun. It took five perilous days at sea—all thrillingly recounted here—before the Waring returned to New York Harbor, where the story of Tillman's shipboard courage became such a tabloid sensation that he was not only put on the bill of Barnum’s American Museum but also proclaimed to be the "first hero" of the Civil War. As McGinty evocatively shows, however, in the horrors of the war then engulfing the nation, memories of his heroism—even of his identity—were all but lost to history. As such, The Rest I Will Kill becomes a thrilling and historically significant work, as well as an extraordinary journey that recounts how a free black man was able to defy efforts to make him a slave and become an unlikely glimmer of hope for a disheartened Union army in the war-battered North. Independence Day, 1861: the schooner S.J. Waring sets sail from New York on a routine voyage to South America. Seventeen days later, it limps back into New York's frenzied harbor with the ship's black steward, William Tillman, at the helm. While the story of that ill-fated voyage is one of the most harrowing tales of captivity and survival on the high seas, it has, almost unbelievably, been lost to history. Now reclaiming Tillman as the real American hero he was, historian Brian McGinty returns readers to that riotous, explosive summer of 1861, when the country was tearing apart at the seams and the Union army was in near shambles following a humiliating defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run. Desperate for good news, the North was soon riveted by reports of an incident that occurred a few hundred miles off the coast of New York, where the Waring had been overtaken by a marauding crew of Confederate privateers. While the white sailors became chummy with their Southern captors, free black man William Tillman was perfectly aware of the fate that awaited him in the ruthless, slave-filled ports south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Stealthily biding his time until a moonlit night nine days after the capture, Tillman single-handedly killed three officers of the privateer crew, then took the wheel and pointed it home. Yet, with no experience as a navigator, only one other helper, and a war-torn Atlantic seaboard to contend with, his struggle had just begun. It took five perilous days at sea before the Waring returned to New York Harbor, where the story of Tillman's shipboard courage became such a tabloid sensation that he was not only put on the bill of Barnum's American Museum but also proclaimed to be the "first hero" of the Civil War. As McGinty shows, however, in the horrors of the war then engulfing the nation, memories of his heroism -- even of his identity -- were all but lost to history. As such, The Rest I Will Kill becomes a historically significant work, that recounts how a free black man was able to defy efforts to make him a slave and become an unlikely glimmer of hope for a disheartened Union army in the war-battered North A surprising work of narrative history and detection that illuminates one of the most daring—and long-forgotten— heroes of the Civil War. On July 4, 1861, the schooner S.J. Waring set sail from New York on a routine voyage to South America. Seventeen days later, it limped back into New York's harbor with the ship's black cook and steward at the helm. While the story of that ill-fated voyage is one of the most harrowing tales of captivity and survival on the high seas, it has been tragically lost to history. Now reclaiming William Tillman as the American hero he deserves to be, historian Brian McGinty takes readers on a courageous journey that recounts how a free black man was able to recapture his commandeered ship from Confederate privateers, defy their efforts to make him a slave, and become an unlikely glimmer of hope for a disheartened Union army in the war-battered North. The Rest I Will Kill emerges as a thrilling yet historically significant work about... An account of captivity and survival on the high seas follows a free black man as he recaptures his commandeered ship from Confederate privateers, defies their efforts to enslave him, and becomes a beacon of hope for the Union army 236 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : 22 cm