Woman Spy at her Best! 4\23\1880
Hello, my name is Elizabeth Van Lew and I was a women spy in
the Civil War. I was originally a Confederate, but after they denied my attempt
to be a nurse at the Libby Prison for Union soldiers and every living
Confederate started threatening my life for my simple attempt, I knew it was
time for a change. Listen to me when I say this, this diary is TOP SECRET! If
you dare tell another soul, I will never be able to trust you again. Here is my
life adventure as a spy.
I, a prominent member of Richmond,
Virginia, society decided that it was time to leave the Confederacy and leave
behind my widowed mother as well. At age 43, I saw my first chance to be a spy
for the Union after the Battle of Manassas in July 1861, so I packed up my bags
and left for the war. At first I helped saving the Union prisoners at the Libby
prison by my Underground Railroad secret trail. My first dispatch, on January 30, 1864, informed
General Butler that the Confederacy was planning to ship inmates from
Richmond’s overcrowded prisons to Andersonville Prison in Georgia. My note
suggested the number of forces he would need to attack and free the prisoners
and warned him not to underestimate the Confederates, because I know the Confederates,
and there are a lot of them. My dispatches are written with colorless ink, but
turn black when you pour milk over them. Shh, don’t tell anyone!
By June 1864, my spy
network had grown to more than a dozen people, and I was bursting with joy!
Along with the agents in government service, I relied on an informal network of
men and women, black and white—including my lovely African-American servant
Mary Elizabeth Bowser. I was Grant’s greatest resource. Well, as times went on,
I lost my fame and my fortune. I guess people just forgot about me after the
war.
Until
next time,
Elizabeth
Van Lew
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