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The Rest I Will Kill: William Tillman and the Unforgettable Story of How a Free Black Man Refused to Become a Slave
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 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.
238 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2016
11 people are currently reading
521 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
February 2, 2020
This could have been an interesting story about a little known fact of history. It wasn't. Mostly lecturing and explaining how black people had no rights pre civil war days, as if no one knew that by now. The actual story was told in a very dry fashion with as much attention given to how the ship was sailed as to how Tillman commandeered the ship away from three Confederate pirates and, with one other helper, sailed the ship safely home.
Someone else needs to do justice to this story.
Someone else needs to do justice to this story.
February 1, 2017
There's a great story here, but this author doesn't tell it. Not enough original research, too many vague generalizations. "Like many black men of his time, William Tillman may have gone to sea because there were no jobs available on shore. He may have made a vow to maintain his freedom at any cost. He may have felt a desperate resolve that sustained him in crisis. "
Can you be more vague, please?
Can you be more vague, please?
February 11, 2025
An extensive review of the civil war era and a story about a hero that almost no one had heard about. The world building is exhaustive to the point that some readers will be turned away or disregard it entirely. I found it meditative and immersive and for as much as we all "know" about the civil war there will always be more to learn.
The event itself that makes William Tillman's story immortal is extremely brief in terms of the book. As others stated it can and has been summed up in small zines or short story collections. But the other takes this opportunity to bring other issues to light and to bring more facts about the time to the reader.
It's slow but focused and I really enjoyed it.
The event itself that makes William Tillman's story immortal is extremely brief in terms of the book. As others stated it can and has been summed up in small zines or short story collections. But the other takes this opportunity to bring other issues to light and to bring more facts about the time to the reader.
It's slow but focused and I really enjoyed it.
February 22, 2022
I enjoyed this book for several reasons: it reinforced basic facts about the Civil War that I missed in High School and beyond, it was a quick read so it didn’t lose me 25-30% of the way through, and I learned the story of William Tillman who did exactly as the title states. I actually wish it was longer, but I think the author did a nice job with the sources and info he had.
August 31, 2016
I appreciate the amount of effort (I imagine a great deal) the author put into researching the life and this expertly crafted HIS story of William Tillman. Very engaging read.
February 11, 2023
A Review of the Audiobook
Published by HighBridge in 2016.
Read by Sean Crisden.
Duration: 4 hours, 19 minutes.
Unabridged.
At the beginning of the Civil War, the Confederacy authorized ships to be privateers. Privateers are basically pirates with the explicit backing of a government. The idea was to authorize as many ships as possible to attack Union shipping as part of the Confederate war effort.
One of the early victims of these attacks was the S.J. Waring, a ship out of New York City bound for South America. On July 4, 1861 the ship was attacked, captured, and most of the crew was taken off the Waring to the privateer ship but they did leave a few people behind, including the ship's cook - a free black man named William Tillman.
The privateers made it very clear that they were going to sell Tillman in the slave market in Charleston and Tillman was not going to let that happen...
Unfortunately, there just isn't a lot of information about William Tillman - either before this event or after he became an early celebrity of the war. The author expanded the book with a look at slavery in Delaware. It was literally the smallest of the slave states at the beginning of the Civil War and it had the weakest attachment to the slave-owning culture. That is not to say that it was easy for free blacks or the slaves, but it does explain why Delaware never really considered joining the Confederacy.
He also looked at privateering during the war, the attitudes toward slavery in New York City and other events that took place early in the Civil War.
I rate this audiobook 4 stars out of 5.
https://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2023...
Published by HighBridge in 2016.
Read by Sean Crisden.
Duration: 4 hours, 19 minutes.
Unabridged.
At the beginning of the Civil War, the Confederacy authorized ships to be privateers. Privateers are basically pirates with the explicit backing of a government. The idea was to authorize as many ships as possible to attack Union shipping as part of the Confederate war effort.
One of the early victims of these attacks was the S.J. Waring, a ship out of New York City bound for South America. On July 4, 1861 the ship was attacked, captured, and most of the crew was taken off the Waring to the privateer ship but they did leave a few people behind, including the ship's cook - a free black man named William Tillman.
The privateers made it very clear that they were going to sell Tillman in the slave market in Charleston and Tillman was not going to let that happen...
Unfortunately, there just isn't a lot of information about William Tillman - either before this event or after he became an early celebrity of the war. The author expanded the book with a look at slavery in Delaware. It was literally the smallest of the slave states at the beginning of the Civil War and it had the weakest attachment to the slave-owning culture. That is not to say that it was easy for free blacks or the slaves, but it does explain why Delaware never really considered joining the Confederacy.
He also looked at privateering during the war, the attitudes toward slavery in New York City and other events that took place early in the Civil War.
I rate this audiobook 4 stars out of 5.
https://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2023...
June 22, 2017
The author does a very impressive job putting together this brief book, with a very limited amount of available source material, about the story of William Tillman.
All but forgotten today, Tillman was a free black man serving as a cook on a merchant ship bound for Argentina via America in 1861. Of course this was not long after Fort Sumter and the start of the Civil War when Jefferson Davis had sent out an order authorizing "privateers" (essentially pirates) to seize any Northern ships they found and allowed them to keep a large share of any profits involved.
These privateers commandeered the ship Tillman was working on and planned to bring it back to South Carolina where Tillman was told he would be sold into slavery.
Being understandably less than thrilled with the idea, he took matters into his own hands and against very large odds became for a brief moment in American history, a national hero.
Tillman's story is fascinating and without a doubt one of courage. As interesting as it was, I really enjoyed the background information the author provides about these freelance pirates employed by the Confederacy and how they were dealt with by the courts and international law. Also interesting, and sad, is how the shipping company and its insurers tried to deny Tillman any kind of monetary compensation for his extreme bravery. While the Confederacy are certainly the bad guys here, many in the North weren't a whole lot better in many respects.
There are a lot of good things to recommend in this all too short book that make it well worth the read.
All but forgotten today, Tillman was a free black man serving as a cook on a merchant ship bound for Argentina via America in 1861. Of course this was not long after Fort Sumter and the start of the Civil War when Jefferson Davis had sent out an order authorizing "privateers" (essentially pirates) to seize any Northern ships they found and allowed them to keep a large share of any profits involved.
These privateers commandeered the ship Tillman was working on and planned to bring it back to South Carolina where Tillman was told he would be sold into slavery.
Being understandably less than thrilled with the idea, he took matters into his own hands and against very large odds became for a brief moment in American history, a national hero.
Tillman's story is fascinating and without a doubt one of courage. As interesting as it was, I really enjoyed the background information the author provides about these freelance pirates employed by the Confederacy and how they were dealt with by the courts and international law. Also interesting, and sad, is how the shipping company and its insurers tried to deny Tillman any kind of monetary compensation for his extreme bravery. While the Confederacy are certainly the bad guys here, many in the North weren't a whole lot better in many respects.
There are a lot of good things to recommend in this all too short book that make it well worth the read.
March 22, 2018
Could have been a hell of a long magazine article, but made for a really drawn out book. (I also wasn't really a fan of the author's prose. Kinda felt like a kid's history book at points.) You could tell that most of the information the author could get was from the salvage trial, as that made up almost a third or more of the entire book's run. (I'm assuming records kept by courts were far better than those kept by a bunch of illiterate seamen.)
And my other big gripe is that Tillman's quotes from when he was on board are basically in ebonics? Dunno where the source was on those, but all the quotes from the trial were in "normal" English and indistinguishable from anyone else. That felt...off.
I almost gave this two stars, just for the fact that discovering this story is worthwhile in itself. (And I mean, it seems like plenty of research went into this .) But it was really squandered here. Could be a hell of a movie or basis for a fictional story, though.
And my other big gripe is that Tillman's quotes from when he was on board are basically in ebonics? Dunno where the source was on those, but all the quotes from the trial were in "normal" English and indistinguishable from anyone else. That felt...off.
I almost gave this two stars, just for the fact that discovering this story is worthwhile in itself. (And I mean, it seems like plenty of research went into this .) But it was really squandered here. Could be a hell of a movie or basis for a fictional story, though.
July 4, 2022
Picked this up because the tale seemed engaging.
McGinty gives us his best effort at what the cover promises: a black freeman is serving as a cook on an American vessel seized by Confederate privateers. Faced with being sold into slavery, he fights back. He becomes, for a brief moment, an acclaimed hero of the first days of the Civil War.
That's the story, pretty much in a nutshell.
McGinty does what he can with the tale, but...even at 184 pages...there's just not enough about Tillman's life to flesh out a full book. Like most of the poor, there's just not much to say about his life outside of his sudden burst of fame.
Which means there's a fair amount of filler, and reiteration of the same concepts, followed by lamenting the lack of adequate documentation.
Is the story worth remembering? Yes. Is it a whole book? Kind of.
A three point two.
McGinty gives us his best effort at what the cover promises: a black freeman is serving as a cook on an American vessel seized by Confederate privateers. Faced with being sold into slavery, he fights back. He becomes, for a brief moment, an acclaimed hero of the first days of the Civil War.
That's the story, pretty much in a nutshell.
McGinty does what he can with the tale, but...even at 184 pages...there's just not enough about Tillman's life to flesh out a full book. Like most of the poor, there's just not much to say about his life outside of his sudden burst of fame.
Which means there's a fair amount of filler, and reiteration of the same concepts, followed by lamenting the lack of adequate documentation.
Is the story worth remembering? Yes. Is it a whole book? Kind of.
A three point two.
October 2, 2017
A true story of the bravery and undaunted courage of William Tillman who was a free black man from the North telling his fight for Freedom that I am very surprised hasn’t been made into a movie yet. Tillman served as a cook on a merchant ship that was commandeered by forces from the South and knowing the bitter fate that awaited him in the south of death or slavery he refused to accept that fate. He almost single handedly killed three men and then lead the ship back to a safe return in the North. An amazing story of a man who would not be denied his freedom. After his story spread in the North he became a hero of the cause of the North and was a awarded salvage for the returned vessel. The author McGinty does a good job of telling a very inspiring story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2017
This book would have made a dynamite 20-page article. Unfortunately, it is a book, its brief content drawn out at tedious length.
"The conflict that was now growing in ferocity was, the Confederates argued, no rebellion but a legitimate war -- a contest between two competing sovereigns comparable to the many disputes fought out on the high seas and in continental Europe between France and Britain, or France and Prussia, or Austria and the Ottoman Empire." This is not the only sentence in its paragraph to have the very same substance and meaning, but it is the only one that saw the need to clarify the concept of "war" with THREE DIFFERENT EXAMPLES.
Great title, though.
"The conflict that was now growing in ferocity was, the Confederates argued, no rebellion but a legitimate war -- a contest between two competing sovereigns comparable to the many disputes fought out on the high seas and in continental Europe between France and Britain, or France and Prussia, or Austria and the Ottoman Empire." This is not the only sentence in its paragraph to have the very same substance and meaning, but it is the only one that saw the need to clarify the concept of "war" with THREE DIFFERENT EXAMPLES.
Great title, though.
January 1, 2023
It’s a fine book, and does a good job of interspersing William Tillman’s own story with the broader events of the Civil War. It also gives some more detailed descriptions of lesser known bits of Civil War history, namely some interesting tidbits about Delaware history and Civil War era maritime law. It is somewhat lacking in specifics of William Tillman’s own life and repeats many generalizations throughout in what feels like an arbitrary attempt to expand the word count.
Overall I enjoyed my time with it, but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone unless they were specifically interested in studying William Tillman or Civil War privateers.
Overall I enjoyed my time with it, but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone unless they were specifically interested in studying William Tillman or Civil War privateers.
February 9, 2018
This is a story you should know, but not one that you have probably ever been told. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be much detail in this story, and the book spends more time in the setup and aftermath of the event. But it illustrates how our histories are affected by bias. Here is a civil war hero that should have statues and monuments, but does not, as of this writing, even have a Wikipedia entry.
September 8, 2024
A potential inspiring tale of a free black man at risk of being sold into slavery when the merchant vessel he's on is captured by confederate privateers during the early part of the US Civil War. Unfortunately, the main character is illiterate and therefore no first hand accounts exist of the tale. The book is fairly short, and the 2nd half is devoted to Tillman's celebrity and exploitation by PT Barnum, so the drama on the high seas doesn't get the attention and focus it deserves.
May 10, 2017
I liked reading history where a black man is not a victim. This man did what he had to do to stay free and sailed the ship back to NYC. My favorite quote is "Dem fo'ks neber git to Charles'n" That is in reply to his captors when the ship he was was pirated that they were going to take him to Charleston SC to sell him as a slave.
February 18, 2019
This was a magnificent non fiction story of a free black civil war era shipping company cook, who is aboard when his employer's sail ship is hijacked by confederate pirates. He retakes the ship, and with very little direct experience, sales the ship back to New York. Lots of detail about southern states authorized piracy, admiralty law, and one of the Civil War's first heroes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2023
William Tillman is a hero I hadn't yet met. I enjoyed this book because it was an exciting historical incident that I wasn't familiar with. The author's descriptions kept me listening right to the end. I wasn't at all sure how the trial would turn out. Too bad that Tillman's grave is unknown and that his bravery is not recounted as it ought to be. Highly recommended!
January 14, 2017
A fairly light read but understandable in light of such little evidence about William Tillman. Very glad that Brian McGinty was able to put a book together at all. I hope other books about little known African Americans and their heroism.
March 18, 2020
I listened to the unabridged audio version of this book. It was only four hours long and comprised four CDs. As short as it was, it was dense. It was chock-full of historical information of which I was unaware.
Civil war buffs ought not miss this one.
Civil war buffs ought not miss this one.
August 14, 2018
Fast-paced; true story.
February 26, 2021
A story not taught in U.S. History class.
February 27, 2024
It was a fascinating story I had never heard of before. Obviously a lot of research went in to pulling this together.
March 13, 2017
This book gives a historical accounting of William Tillman. Tillman was a little know Civil war hero. Much of the book includes factual accounts of the civil war. The information about privateers and of salvage laws were interesting. I was not aware when I started this book that it was based strictly on fact and that it does not read like a story, but instead, it is more like a history textbook. While I did enjoy the book, I wished would love to read another book that takes a bit of creative license with Tillman's story.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, but the opinion is all my own.,
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, but the opinion is all my own.,
October 29, 2020
Wavered between 3 + 4 stars on this one: 4 for the compelling story, 3 for writing style. For me, the over emphasis on explaining sources broke up the flow of the reading and made it less enjoyable. (Hell yeah for primary sources but I think they could've been integrated more cohesively.)
July 26, 2016
A very interesting man on several levels.
His heroics are of great note for two reasons. One, it was the first major "win" for the North as the Civil War got underway. Two, it provided the perfect "test case" to argue that black men should be allowed to fight with the North. They had as much invested in winning and were perfectly capable of fighting. Read: not the imbecile slackers that still stimagtized even the freemen.
His story is interesting and was compelling enough to keep my interest despite the rather dry writing.
At times, the narrative sidetracked into detailed Civil War machinations which was annoying as I'm not interested in reading about the larger movements and etc in the war. I've read plenty of that elsewhere. I just wanted to know about Tillman.
Turns out, they weren't superfluous. The author was giving background context before telling the next pieece of the story or highlighting the significance of something. I'd have recommended that he simplified the background details.
Moving on, Tillman's tale is fascinating. Not much is known about his life before or after the event though the author detailed what he was able to find. But because of the vast amount of recounting afterwards by him and the other men involved, we get a fairly clear picture of what happened.
Despite my complaint about too much background detail, I do appreciate that the author took the time to point out the historical significance and impact this had.
Also of particular interest, the legal aftermath. The ship and its valuable cargo had been seized by the South under a so-called letter of marquee (permit to prey like pirates on Northern ships). Which means when Tillman took the ship back, it was a salvage and therefore salvage rights and recompense was due.
That in itself was really interesting to me because naturally, the ship's owners did NOT agree and the suits and countersuits went on for years.
I didn't read them but a good 40% of the book consists of the footnotes, citations, and bibliography.
In the end, it was a rather quick read. I skimmed the sections about the Civil War. Read all the Tillman parts. Since little is known about what happened to him after the lawsuits were finally settled, there's not a great deal to the overall story.
A worthwhile read for anyone interested in Civil war history. How freedmen were treated in the North (not well) in more detail. And a truly heroic caper. I would have given this 4 stars except the writing was a bit dry.
Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
His heroics are of great note for two reasons. One, it was the first major "win" for the North as the Civil War got underway. Two, it provided the perfect "test case" to argue that black men should be allowed to fight with the North. They had as much invested in winning and were perfectly capable of fighting. Read: not the imbecile slackers that still stimagtized even the freemen.
His story is interesting and was compelling enough to keep my interest despite the rather dry writing.
At times, the narrative sidetracked into detailed Civil War machinations which was annoying as I'm not interested in reading about the larger movements and etc in the war. I've read plenty of that elsewhere. I just wanted to know about Tillman.
Turns out, they weren't superfluous. The author was giving background context before telling the next pieece of the story or highlighting the significance of something. I'd have recommended that he simplified the background details.
Moving on, Tillman's tale is fascinating. Not much is known about his life before or after the event though the author detailed what he was able to find. But because of the vast amount of recounting afterwards by him and the other men involved, we get a fairly clear picture of what happened.
Despite my complaint about too much background detail, I do appreciate that the author took the time to point out the historical significance and impact this had.
Also of particular interest, the legal aftermath. The ship and its valuable cargo had been seized by the South under a so-called letter of marquee (permit to prey like pirates on Northern ships). Which means when Tillman took the ship back, it was a salvage and therefore salvage rights and recompense was due.
That in itself was really interesting to me because naturally, the ship's owners did NOT agree and the suits and countersuits went on for years.
I didn't read them but a good 40% of the book consists of the footnotes, citations, and bibliography.
In the end, it was a rather quick read. I skimmed the sections about the Civil War. Read all the Tillman parts. Since little is known about what happened to him after the lawsuits were finally settled, there's not a great deal to the overall story.
A worthwhile read for anyone interested in Civil war history. How freedmen were treated in the North (not well) in more detail. And a truly heroic caper. I would have given this 4 stars except the writing was a bit dry.
Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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August 25, 2016The Rest I Will Kill sounds like it will be an amazing true-life tale of danger and selfless heroism. After all, black men did not fight back against white men in the early 1860s. So, any story that refutes this idea has to be good. Right?
Unfortunately, Brian McGinty’s narrative is just…not good. Half of the book is setting the stage for the confrontation, educating readers on the early stages of the Civil War and establishing the mood in the North as well as the South. This is important and turns out to be the most interesting sections of the story because he discusses the early efforts at the Union blockade, maritime law, and the political quagmire that was the South seceding from the Union. Sadly, while this is a key section and sets the tone for Tillman’s later actions, Mr. McGinty barely scratches the surface on the political, social, and legal implications of the Civil War. Details are insufficient to truly understand anyone’s mindset at that time.
As for William Tillman, his harrowing adventure turns out to be less so. Mr. McGinty tries to impart the danger Tillman faces both before and after his mutiny, but he is not successful. Tillman becomes less a hero and more someone acting to save his own neck. While the reasons he does so are completely understandable, he is not someone who would ignite the nation behind his cause. It gets worse when he gets back to New York, as he quickly becomes a pawn in the world of maritime insurance and a spectacle that lines the pockets of P. T. Barnum. He kills to preserve his freedom but then foregoes some of that hard-won freedom by becoming subservient to insurance lawyers and Barnum himself.
The entire story is disappointing in its lack of details and Mr. McGinty’s inability to create any empathy for Tillman. In spite of Mr. McGinty’s attempts to portray Tillman as larger than life, Tillman remains little more than a caricature. You cannot empathize with him because you do not know who he is anymore than you know what he was thinking before, during, and after the brutal act which brought him a modicum of fame. It is a frustrating reading experience because one instinctively wants more than what Mr. McGinty provides.
Thrilling? No. Historically significant? Probably not. Mildly interesting? Yes. Thus is my lackluster response to Mr. McGinty’s story of William Tillman and his one moment of fame.
Unfortunately, Brian McGinty’s narrative is just…not good. Half of the book is setting the stage for the confrontation, educating readers on the early stages of the Civil War and establishing the mood in the North as well as the South. This is important and turns out to be the most interesting sections of the story because he discusses the early efforts at the Union blockade, maritime law, and the political quagmire that was the South seceding from the Union. Sadly, while this is a key section and sets the tone for Tillman’s later actions, Mr. McGinty barely scratches the surface on the political, social, and legal implications of the Civil War. Details are insufficient to truly understand anyone’s mindset at that time.
As for William Tillman, his harrowing adventure turns out to be less so. Mr. McGinty tries to impart the danger Tillman faces both before and after his mutiny, but he is not successful. Tillman becomes less a hero and more someone acting to save his own neck. While the reasons he does so are completely understandable, he is not someone who would ignite the nation behind his cause. It gets worse when he gets back to New York, as he quickly becomes a pawn in the world of maritime insurance and a spectacle that lines the pockets of P. T. Barnum. He kills to preserve his freedom but then foregoes some of that hard-won freedom by becoming subservient to insurance lawyers and Barnum himself.
The entire story is disappointing in its lack of details and Mr. McGinty’s inability to create any empathy for Tillman. In spite of Mr. McGinty’s attempts to portray Tillman as larger than life, Tillman remains little more than a caricature. You cannot empathize with him because you do not know who he is anymore than you know what he was thinking before, during, and after the brutal act which brought him a modicum of fame. It is a frustrating reading experience because one instinctively wants more than what Mr. McGinty provides.
Thrilling? No. Historically significant? Probably not. Mildly interesting? Yes. Thus is my lackluster response to Mr. McGinty’s story of William Tillman and his one moment of fame.
October 23, 2016
I received a copy of this book from Goodreads in return for an honest and fair review.
William Tillman was a free black man in the tumultuous time at the beginning of the Civil War. As hostilities were picking up William Tillman was serving as a cook on a schooner leaving from New York. While on their journey they ran into the Jefferson Davis, a ship named after the president of the confederacy, that had been given letters of marque and reprisal allowing it to essentially privateer Union vessels. As a prize crew is installed the free black cook overhears the Confederate sympathizers discuss how much Tillman may fetch at the auction block. With his freedom on the line Tillman heroically overtakes the vessel and, with help from other sympathetic passengers, overtakes the Jefferson Davis and sails the perilous journey home. Once home he becomes and instant hero, but as time passes he fades into obscurity.
This book was a wonderful account of the heroics of William Tillman. It begins with a quick synopsis of what is known of William Tillman's early years, as well as a brief description of the lead up to the Civil War. This is followed up with a factual, but not dry, account of the schooner heroics, the resulting adulation, and the eventual fade into obscurity. Most impressive is the extensive citations provided by the author. As a reader I have a deep, undying love for a great set of citations and this book brings it. Overall, if you are someone who enjoys historical accounts, especially of the historically oft-forgotten minorities then this is the book for you.
William Tillman was a free black man in the tumultuous time at the beginning of the Civil War. As hostilities were picking up William Tillman was serving as a cook on a schooner leaving from New York. While on their journey they ran into the Jefferson Davis, a ship named after the president of the confederacy, that had been given letters of marque and reprisal allowing it to essentially privateer Union vessels. As a prize crew is installed the free black cook overhears the Confederate sympathizers discuss how much Tillman may fetch at the auction block. With his freedom on the line Tillman heroically overtakes the vessel and, with help from other sympathetic passengers, overtakes the Jefferson Davis and sails the perilous journey home. Once home he becomes and instant hero, but as time passes he fades into obscurity.
This book was a wonderful account of the heroics of William Tillman. It begins with a quick synopsis of what is known of William Tillman's early years, as well as a brief description of the lead up to the Civil War. This is followed up with a factual, but not dry, account of the schooner heroics, the resulting adulation, and the eventual fade into obscurity. Most impressive is the extensive citations provided by the author. As a reader I have a deep, undying love for a great set of citations and this book brings it. Overall, if you are someone who enjoys historical accounts, especially of the historically oft-forgotten minorities then this is the book for you.
September 28, 2016
Brian McGinty has rescued an interesting tale from history and has added another African-American hero to the annals of history. At the start of the American Civil War, the South had many naval officers that had resigned from the United States Navy but not nearly enough ships for all of those officers to command. They wrote into their Constitution the ability to seize Northern ships are war prizes.
William Tillman was a free African-American on one of these ships when it was seized. The rules stated that he was going to be set ashore in the South and sold into slavery.
Over his dead body.
Told in several very adventurous and highly readable chapters, William Tillman found a way to take command of the ship away from the southern crew and return the ship to the north.
This book has been thoroughly researched despite the fact that the historical record on Tillman is very scarce. McGinty also did a impressive job of placing Tillman's story in larger history of the Civil War.
And now someone needs to immediately summarize Tillman's tale on Wikipedia because HE IS NOT IN THERE!
William Tillman was a free African-American on one of these ships when it was seized. The rules stated that he was going to be set ashore in the South and sold into slavery.
Over his dead body.
Told in several very adventurous and highly readable chapters, William Tillman found a way to take command of the ship away from the southern crew and return the ship to the north.
This book has been thoroughly researched despite the fact that the historical record on Tillman is very scarce. McGinty also did a impressive job of placing Tillman's story in larger history of the Civil War.
And now someone needs to immediately summarize Tillman's tale on Wikipedia because HE IS NOT IN THERE!
July 14, 2017
Hats off to Brian McGinty for reminding us of the thrilling story of William Tillman. The concept of the book was a breath of fresh air in a crammed arena of Civil War history. However, the heavy reliance on suppositions and the often dry writing made it a difficult read, even considering its short length.
The research and passion that the author put into this work is very apparent, and the story is richer because of it. This may bore people who are already familiar with the time period, but they can easily skim these passages.
Overall, this is a recommended read, if only for reminding us of this long-forgotten story. It will not require much of a commitment, and no background knowledge is required. Casual readers can take a leisurely stroll through the story, and academic readers have a deep sea of notes to explore at the end.
The research and passion that the author put into this work is very apparent, and the story is richer because of it. This may bore people who are already familiar with the time period, but they can easily skim these passages.
Overall, this is a recommended read, if only for reminding us of this long-forgotten story. It will not require much of a commitment, and no background knowledge is required. Casual readers can take a leisurely stroll through the story, and academic readers have a deep sea of notes to explore at the end.
February 2, 2017
Brian McGinty Review
The Rest I Will Kill 2016 Story of William Tillman, a black guy in the Civil War Era, who was a free man working on a boat. The boat was captured by pirates affiliated with the Confederate States. This took place at the beginning of the civil war in the United States.
Tillman was none too happy about being taken to the Southern ports where he would get to taste the good life of a slave. So he killed some of the crew and retook the ship back to a Union port. It is a very interesting story with a bunch of background on the Civil War also( I should say side stories.). Not exactly a pageturner but neither is your diary so it works out okay.
R. Felini Chicago Style
Author of Chicago Style
Amazon book: http://tinyurl.com/oxblw67 Feliniworld.wordpress.com
The Rest I Will Kill 2016 Story of William Tillman, a black guy in the Civil War Era, who was a free man working on a boat. The boat was captured by pirates affiliated with the Confederate States. This took place at the beginning of the civil war in the United States.
Tillman was none too happy about being taken to the Southern ports where he would get to taste the good life of a slave. So he killed some of the crew and retook the ship back to a Union port. It is a very interesting story with a bunch of background on the Civil War also( I should say side stories.). Not exactly a pageturner but neither is your diary so it works out okay.
R. Felini Chicago Style
Author of Chicago Style
Amazon book: http://tinyurl.com/oxblw67 Feliniworld.wordpress.com
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