A Notable Bully – Colonel Billy Wilson, Masculinity, and the Pursuit of Violenc…

A Notable BullyColonel Billy Wilson, Masculinity, and the Pursuit of Violence in the Civil War Era\nAuthor(s): Robert E. Cray\nFormat: Hardback\nPublisher: Kent State University Press, United States\nImprint: Kent State University Press\nISBN-13: 9781606354247, 978-1606354247\nSynopsis\nThe definitive biography of a Civil War scoundrel and streetwise politico Largely forgotten by historians, Billy Wilson [tel] 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.\n\nAn 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.