True crime in the Civil War: cases of murder, treason, counterfeiting, massacre, plunder, and abuse

Crime did not take a holiday during the Civil War, far from it. As Tobin Buhk shows in this fast-paced narrative, the war created new opportunities to gain profits from illegal activities, to settle old scores against personal enemies under the cover of fighting the nation's enemies, to pillage, plunder, and murder amid the carnage and destruction that seemed to offer license to legitimize such crimes. Students of the Civil War will find new information in this readable account. --James M. McPherson, Author of Battle Cry of Freedom• Examines criminal cases during the conflict • Cases include currency counterfeiting, tyrannical actions of Gen. Benjamin Butler, the murder of Gen. Earl van Dorn, raids by William Quantrill's Bushwhackers, the Fort Pillow Massacre, the horrific prison conditions at Andersonville, the fate of Lincoln the assassination conspirators, and more “Reconstruct[s] Civil War cold cases and crimes through the people who lived to tell about them... a unique history.”—MLive “Crime did not take a holiday during the Civil War, far from it. As Tobin Buhk shows in this fast-paced narrative, the war created new opportunities to gain profits from illegal activities, to settle old scores against personal enemies under the cover of fighting the nation's enemies, to pillage, plunder, and murder amid the carnage and destruction that seemed to offer license to legitimize such crimes. Students of the Civil War will find new information in this readable account.” —James M. McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom This history of the rampant crime that took place in both the North and South amid the chaos of the American Civil War examines cases including currency counterfeiting; the tyrannical actions of Gen. Benjamin Butler; the murder of Gen. Earl van Dorn; the Detroit Draft Riot; the Rebel plot to burn New York City; raids by William Quantrill's Bushwhackers; the Fort Pillow Massacre; the horrific prison conditions at Andersonville; the fate of the Lincoln assassination conspirators; and more. Includes photographs Preface Introduction the criminal state of the union Inside Castle Thunder, notorious Richmond prison Sam Upham's counterfeiting scheme Benjamin Butler, Beast of New Orleans The sack of Athens and the court-martial of Col. J. B. Turchin Feuding generals : the murder of Bull Nelson and the Walker-Marmaduke Duel The Faulkner outrage and detroit's draft riot The slaying of the Beckham family The Lawrence Massacre and the not-so-civil war of Quantrill, Anderson, and the James Brothers The murder of Gen. Earl van Dorn No quarter : Bedford Forrest and the Fort Pillow Massacre Manhattan burning : the rebel arson plot Sue Mundy, terror of Kentucky The trial of the Lincoln assassination conspirators Fifty-three counts of murder : Champ Ferguson's private war Murder or misadventure? : Temperance Neely kills her former slave The war crimes trial of Andersonville's controversial commandant.

Crime did not take a holiday during the Civil War, far from it. As Tobin Buhk shows in this fast-paced narrative, the war created new opportunities to gain profits from illegal activities, to settle old scores against personal enemies under the cover of fighting the nation's enemies, to pillage, plunder, and murder amid the carnage and destruction that seemed to offer license to legitimize such crimes. Students of the Civil War will find new information in this readable account. -James M. McPherson,Author of Battle Cry of Freedom Examines criminal cases during the conflict Cases include currency counterfeiting, tyrannical actions of Gen. Benjamin Butler, the murder of Gen. Earl van Dorn, raids by William Quantrill's Bushwhackers, the Fort Pillow Massacre, the horrific prison conditions at Andersonville, the fate of Lincoln the assassination conspirators, and more

Shows how the American Civil War created new opportunities for crime from revenge against personal enemies, counterfeiting, plunder, and abuse to massacre, and discusses the draft riot in Detroit, the Fort pillow Massacre, the rebel plot to burn New York City, and more The epic battles of the Civil War have become the stuff of legend and the subject of a vast amount of literature. Much less known is the war behind the lines, a war carried out by merciless guerrillas, bloodthirsty mobs, murderous vigilantes and sinister secret agents.