Former Slave to Union Spy by Cindy Regnier

 In war, it was not uncommon for women to want to have a part in the war effort, even before they could be included in the military. Many women actually became spies. They had the advantage of being beyond suspicion in the eyes of military men simply because they were women. Elizabeth Van Lew was one such woman. She became a Union espionage agent during the Civil War while living in the Confederate capital of Richmond. Her parents were Northeners that relocated to Richmond where her family lived in a mansion in an astute neighborhood and made every effort to assimilate fully into southern society, even acquiring as many as twenty-one slaves. But Elizabeth privately abhorred the notion of slavery and freed many of her slaves after the death of her parents. Van Lew, who never married, chose to stay in Richmond after the South seceded, believing that she could be of use to the Union army in her present position.

 At first, Van Lew secretly helped Union officers in the nearby Libby Prison, helping them to escape by bribing Confederate prison guards, but after Jefferson Davis imposed martial law, she could no longer visit the prisons. She’d have to find another way. Van Lew became a leader of the interracial spy network known as the Richmond Underground. In this capacity she helped Northern sympathizers flee the Confederacy and find refuge in the North by means of safe houses, disguises, secret guides and even made her family mansion into a safe house to protect   the fleeing fugitives.

Van Lew House

 But Van Lew’s most noted contribution   to the Union cause was her relationship with a black woman named Mary   Jane Richards, a former slave of the Van Lews, who  used the alias of Mary Bowser. Van Lew was able to get Mary Bowser a job as a servant   in the Confederate White House. In this capacity Mary saw and heard   confidential plans and information being discussed by Confederate officers as she meekly served tea and refreshments in the rooms where they met to discuss war plans. They all ignored her, presuming her to be an uneducated black woman, and giving her no credit for intelligence or her ability to memorize important documents she caught glimpses of in those meeting rooms. She opened cabinets in Davis’ office while he was absent and scrutinized his papers, uncovering military details of great use to the Union army.

Confederate White House

Mary passed information to Union army officials through Elizabeth and the Van Lew Spy network. Her work enabled General Grant to strike devastating blows at the Confederate army as well as providing valuable insights about the movement of Southern troops and supplies.

When an investigation was finally launched against Elizabeth Van Lew, it was found that she was unfriendly to the Southern government but that she’d never done anything to “infirm the cause" beyond "talking freely" of her opinions among her friends. No action was taken against her by men blinded to the idea that a frail spinster lady could be capable of significant disloyalty.

I have not included a picture of Mary (Bowser) Richards in this post as many images from the past are said to be Mary Bowser but most likely are not. She had so many aliases and disguises that Mary’s history is next to impossible to piece together. One fact is agreed upon however. Both Mary and Elizabeth had an important (and dangerous) roles as Union Spies and played a significant part in the ultimate victory of the Union armies over the Confederacy.

Scribbling in notebooks has been a habit of Cindy Regnier since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Born and raised in Kansas, she writes stories of historical Kansas, especially the Flint Hills area where she spent much of her childhood. Her experiences with the Flint Hills setting, her natural love for history, farming and animals, along with her interest in genealogical research give her the background and passion to write heart-fluttering historical romance.