The Rest I Will Kill: William Tillman and the Unforgettable Story of How a Free Black Man Refused to Become a Slave
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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.
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Brian McGinty. (2016). The Rest I Will Kill: William Tillman and the Unforgettable Story of How a Free Black Man Refused to Become a Slave. Liveright.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)Brian McGinty. 2016. The Rest I Will Kill: William Tillman and the Unforgettable Story of How a Free Black Man Refused to Become a Slave. Liveright.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)Brian McGinty, The Rest I Will Kill: William Tillman and the Unforgettable Story of How a Free Black Man Refused to Become a Slave. Liveright, 2016.
MLA Citation (style guide)Brian McGinty. The Rest I Will Kill: William Tillman and the Unforgettable Story of How a Free Black Man Refused to Become a Slave. Liveright, 2016.
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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...
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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.
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- source: Michael Kleber-Diggs;Minneapolis Star Tribune
- content: Spectacular. . . . [A] carefully researched and expertly crafted book . . . . The Rest I Will Kill should enchant a wide audience: history buffs, Civil War enthusiasts, pirate junkies, readers who love action and adventure, and those interested in the seemingly unending quest for liberty. It's difficult to imagine the person who can't find something to admire in these pages
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- source: Patricia Ann Owens;Library Journal (Starred Review)
- content: Vivid writing creates an exciting read, and McGinty's use of primary sources such as newspapers and government documents is exceptional. . . . McGinty dubs Tillman a hero and a patriot, one of the first during the Civil War. An important contribution to the shelf of Civil War histories, this story will transfix readers.
- premium: True
- source:
- content:
June 6, 2016
Attorney McGinty (Lincoln’s Greatest Case) unsuccessfully attempts to add heft and tension to a little-known Civil War episode of courage on the high seas. He argues that William Tillman, a free black man from the slave state of Delaware, deserves to be remembered as one of the first heroes of the war. In 1861, Tillman had been working as a cook on the S.J. Waring, a merchant ship, for four years. This routine job turned dangerous at the outbreak of war because the Confederacy authorized privateers to seize whatever Union vessels they could. When they captured the Waring that summer, Tillman knew his freedom was forfeit. He would be sold along with the rest of the cargo once the confiscated ship reached the South. Rather than face one day as an enslaved person, Tillman killed three privateers and took back the Waring. These events are described in brisk order, as is the subsequent court case that dealt with the legalities of salvage. Though Tillman struck a decisive blow for individual liberty, McGinty’s claim that he’s a hero comes across as a stretch. Instead of a richly textured story about the importance of freedom, McGinty delivers a wispy sliver of legal history. Illus.
- premium: True
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- content:
June 1, 2016
McGinty (Lincoln's Greatest Case) shares a little-known story from the Civil War. William Tillman (b. 1826), a free African American, worked as a cook and steward on the schooner S.J. Waring. In July 1861, the ship was captured by Confederate privateers who planned to reap financial rewards from the cargo--and also from selling Tillman as a slave when they returned to the South. Tillman refused to accept this fate. With courage and tenacity, he recaptured the ship and returned it to its home port in New York. The author recounts the story within the context of the Civil War, including its military battles, maritime laws, and slavery, the very reason for the conflict. Vivid writing creates an exciting read, and McGinty's use of primary sources such as newspapers and government documents is exceptional. There is scant information as to Tillman's life after he received a financial award for recapturing the ship. Nonetheless, McGinty dubs Tillman a hero and a patriot, one of the first during the Civil War. VERDICT An important contribution to the shelf of Civil War histories, this story will transfix readers. [See Prepub Alert, 2/29/16.]--Patricia Ann Owens, formerly with Illinois Eastern Community Colls., Mt. Carmel
Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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