Gotham at war

About this book

"... The fascinating story of New York City during the Civil War. In a characteristically complex and independent spirit, New York's support for the Union was not absolute. Some New Yorkers fought to sustain the Union while others opposed the war effort and sided with the South. The city mobilized an enthusiastic but poorly trained military force ... cared for sick and wounded soldiers ... newspapers built public support for the Union cause. Yet New York also had strong sympathy for the South. Parts of the city were hostile to the abolition of slavery and to any real freedom for black Americans. The opposition of many New Yorkers to the military draft culminated in one of the greatest of all urban upheavals, the draft riots of July 1863." -- back cover.