Robert E. Cray

The definitive biography of a Civil War scoundrel and streetwise politico 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...