Research Catalog

A notable bully : Colonel Billy Wilson, masculinity, and the pursuit of violence in the Civil War era

Title: A notable bully : Colonel Billy Wilson, masculinity, and the pursuit of violence in the Civil War era / Robert E. Cray.
Author: Cray, Robert E.
Publication: Kent, Ohio : The Kent State University Press, [2021]

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Status	Format	Access	Call Number	Item Location
Request for On-site Use Request Scan Available - Can be used on site. Please visit New York Public Library - Schwarzman Building to submit a request in person.	Text	Use in library	JFE 21-8926	Schwarzman Building - Milstein Division Room 121

Details

Description

xi, 308 pages : portrait; 24 cm.

Summary

"Largely forgotten by historians, Billy Wilson (1822-1874) was a giant in his time, a man well known throughout New York City, a man shaped by the city's immigrant culture, its harsh voting practices, and its efforts to participate in the War for the Union. For decades, Wilson's name made headlines-for many different reasons-in the city's major newspapers. An immigrant who settled in New York in 1842, Wilson found work as a prizefighter, a shoulder hitter, an immigrant runner, and a pawnbroker, before finally entering politics and being elected an alderman. He harnessed his tough persona to good advantage, in 1861 becoming a colonel in command of a regiment of alleged toughs and ex-convicts known as the "Wilson Zouaves." A poor disciplinarian, however, Wilson exercised little control over his soldiers, and in 1863, unable to maintain order, he was jailed for a number of weeks. Nonetheless, Wilson returned home to a hero's welcome that year. Wilson left behind no personal papers, journals, or correspondences, yet Robert E. Cray has masterfully woven together a record of Wilson's life using the only available records: newspaper stories. These accounts present Wilson as a fascinating but highly unlikable man. As Cray demonstrates, Wilson bullied his way into New York, bullied his way into fame and politics, and attempted to bully his way into military greatness. His story depicts the New York City and Civil War experience in bolder, darker hues. As Cray shows us, it was not always a pretty tale"--

Series Statement

Interpreting the Civil War

Uniform Title

Interpreting the Civil War.

Alternative Title

Colonel Billy Wilson, masculinity, and the pursuit of violence in the Civil War era

Subject

Genre/Form

Biographies.
History.

Bibliography (note)

Includes bibliographical references (pages 256-298) and index.

Contents

1. Immigrant Fighter -- 2. Wilson Campaigning -- 3. Defeat And Uncertainty -- 4. Colonel Billy Wilson And The Zouaves Take Shape -- 5. Colonel Billy Wilson And The Zouaves At War -- 6. Colonel Billy Wilson And The Zouaves At Home.

Call Number

JFE 21-8926

ISBN

9781606354247
1606354248

LCCN

2021005739
40030656665

OCLC

1197851417

Author

Cray, Robert E., author.

Title

A notable bully : Colonel Billy Wilson, masculinity, and the pursuit of violence in the Civil War era / Robert E. Cray.

Publisher

Kent, Ohio : The Kent State University Press, [2021]

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Series

Interpreting the Civil War

Interpreting the Civil War.

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (pages 256-298) and index.

Chronological Term

To 1899

Other Standard Identifier

40030656665

Research Call Number

JFE 21-8926

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