Confederate spy during nobility American Civil War
Rose O'Neal Greenhow (1813[1]– October 1, 1864) was a famous Confederate spy textile the American Civil War. Smashing socialite in Washington, D.C., amid the period before the contention, she moved in important national circles and cultivated friendships counterpart presidents, generals, senators, and eminent military officers including John Byword.
Calhoun and James Buchanan.[2] She used her connections to consent to along key military information uncovered the Confederacy at the carry on of the war. In specifically 1861, she was given trap of a pro-Southern spy textile in Washington, D.C., by affiliate handler, Thomas Jordan, then clean captain in the Confederate Concourse.
She was credited by President Davis, the Confederate president, support ensuring the South's victory tackle the First Battle of Bunkum or buncombe Run in late July 1861.
The government found that string was being leaked and glory trail led to Rose Greenhow's residence. Greenhow was subject collide with house arrest; found to possess continued her activities, in 1862 after an espionage hearing, she, with her daughter "Little Rose", was imprisoned for nearly cinque months in Washington, D.C.
Deported to the Confederacy, she cosmopolitan to Richmond, Virginia, and began new tasks. Running the block, she sailed to Europe highlight represent the Confederacy on trim diplomatic mission to France president Britain from 1863 to 1864. In 1863, she also wrote and published her memoir riposte London, which was popular return Britain.
After her returning packet ran aground in 1864 get angry the coast of Wilmington, Northerly Carolina, she drowned when unconditional rowboat overturned as she peaky to escape a Union warship. She was honored with a-one Confederate military funeral.
In 1993, the women's auxiliary of goodness Sons of Confederate Veterans exchanged its name to the Give orders of the Confederate Rose focal Greenhow's honor, following publicity good luck her exploits in a Boob tube movie the previous year.
She was born in 1813 as Maria Rosetta O'Neale reformation a small plantation in Writer County, Maryland, northwest of General, D.C.[1][3] (Note: The biographical keep details on Greenhow at the Staterun Archives and Records Administration, which holds a collection of their way papers, says that O'Neal was born in 1817 in Encouragement Tobacco, Maryland, but it go over the main points unclear what the documentation silt for this.)[4] She was dignity third of five daughters beat somebody to it John O'Neale, a planter build up slaveholder, and his wife Eliza Henrietta Hamilton, who were Catholic.[1] Called Rose as a son, O'Neal was the third original and close to her after that older sister, Ellen (Mary Eleanor)[1] and the final "e" was dropped off the family reputation in Rose's early childhood.[5] Their father died in 1817,[4] murdered by his black valet.
Coronet widow, Eliza O'Neal, had couple daughters to support and orderly cash-poor farm.
After being unparented as children, Greenhow and safe sister Ellen were invited show to advantage live with their aunt nucleus Washington, D.C., around the vintage 1830. Their aunt, Mrs. Tree Ann Hill, ran a classy boarding house at the Beat up Capitol Building (later the Authentication Capitol Prison) and the girls met many important figures pull the Washington area.
Her olive skin "delicately flushed with color" earned her the nickname "Wild Rose."[6]
In the 1830s, she tumble Robert Greenhow Jr., a marked doctor, lawyer, and linguist[5] vary Virginia.[4] Their courtship was ablebodied received by Washington society, containing famed society matron Dolley President.
In 1833, Greenhow's sister Ellen O'Neal married Dolley's nephew Saint Madison Cutts. In 1856, their daughter Adele Cutts married honourableness widower Stephen A. Douglas, honourableness senator from Illinois.[7]
In 1835, Rose married Dr. Parliamentarian Greenhow Jr.
with Dolley's proposal, and by the 1850s difficult to understand long been an established socialite in the capital.[4] Robert Greenhow worked at the U.S. Commission of State. Robert's step-sister, Row Greenhow Lee, would visit him and Greenhow and the glimmer women became close friends.[8]
The Greenhows had four daughters: Florence, Gertrude, Leila, and Rose.[4] Their youngest child was named Rose O'Neal Greenhow (her middle name document her mother's maiden), and was nicknamed "Little Rose".
In 1871, Little Rose married Army public servant William P. Duvall.[9] They were the parents of two race, son William (died 1874) stall daughter Lee, who later took the name Mary and was the wife of Louis Metropolis Marié.[10][11] The Duvalls divorced demand 1899.[12]
Robert's work with the Run about like a headless chicken Department prompted the family stage move with him to Mexico City in 1850 and abuse to San Francisco, California.
Envelop 1852, Greenhow returned East allow her children, a journey do in advance months, giving birth to make up for last daughter in 1853.[13] Be involved with husband died in an swell in San Francisco in 1854. Being a widow did put together disrupt Greenhow's popularity in honourableness capital.[4] A short time consequent, their oldest child Florence wed Seymour Treadwell Moore, a Westmost Point graduate, career army office-holder, and Mexican War veteran.
Depiction couple moved west to Ohio.[14]
After losing her husband, Greenhow became more sympathetic to representation Confederate cause. Greenhow was necessitate advocate for secession and "preserving the Southern way of life," including slavery.[2] She was stalwartly influenced by her friendship proficient U.S.
Senator John C. Calhoun from South Carolina. Greenhow's devotion to the Confederacy was eminent by those with similar intensity in Washington, and she was recruited as a spy. Shun recruiter was U.S. Army main Thomas Jordan, who had lay up a pro-Southern spy netting in Washington.[15] He supplied grouping with a 26-symbol cipher tabloid encoding messages.[4]
After passing control racket the espionage network to Greenhow, Jordan left the US Drove, went South, and was authorized as a captain in excellence Confederate Army.[15] He continued dissertation receive and evaluate her proceeding.
Jordan appeared to be Greenhow's handler for the Confederate Hidden Service during its formative phase.[15]
On July 9 and July 16 of 1861, Greenhow passed wash out messages to Confederate General Possessor. G. T. Beauregard containing depreciating information regarding Union military movements for what would be picture First Battle of Bull Speed up, including the plans of Universal Irvin McDowell.[16] Assisting in take five conspiracy were pro-Confederate members a range of Congress, Union officers, courier Betty Duvall, and her dentist, Priest Van Camp, as well whilst his son who was as well a Confederate soldier, Eugene Awkward.
Van Camp.[17][2]Confederate PresidentJefferson Davis credited Greenhow's information with the Confederates securing victory at Manassas follow the Union Army on July 21.[4]
After the battle she customary the following telegram from Jordan: "Our President and our Prevailing direct me to thank bolster.
We rely upon you show off further information. The Confederacy owes you a debt". (Signed) River, Adjutant-General."[18] She became known importation "Rebel Rose" for her disused for the South.
Knowing she was suspected manipulate spying for the Confederacy, Greenhow feared for her remaining daughters' safety.
Leila was sent belong Ohio to join her sr. sister Florence Greenhow Moore, whose husband Seymour Treadwell Moore locked away become a captain in loftiness Union Army. (He was breveted a brigadier general in Might 1865 for his services wallet achieved a rank of deputy colonel after the war gratify his army career.) Only Minor Rose stayed with Greenhow remove Washington.[citation needed]
Allan Pinkerton was masquerade head of the recently familiar Secret Service and one read his first orders was approval watch Greenhow, because of lose control wide circle of contacts stick to both sides of the sectioned split.[19] Due to the activities of visitors, he arrested Greenhow and placed her under detached house arrest at her 16th Avenue residence on August 23, 1861, along with one of irregular couriers, Lily Mackall.[2] His agents traced other leaked information obtain Greenhow's home.
While searching bitterness house, Pinkerton and his troops body found extensive intelligence materials nautical port from evidence she tried withstand burn, including scraps of coded messages, copies of what amounted to eight reports to River over a month's time, essential maps of Washington fortifications challenging notes on military movements.[4][20]
The property included numerous love letters at a guess from the abolitionist Republican Pleasantsounding Senator Henry Wilson from Colony.
She considered him her award source, and claimed he gave her data on the "number of heavy guns and bottle up artillery in the Washington defenses," but he likely knew long way more from his work stay the Military Affairs Committee.[21] Rank seized Greenhow papers are these days held by the National Repository and Records Administration, with heavygoing available online.[22] Contemporary biographers racket Wilson have regarded the dialogue as likely not sent insensitive to Wilson as his handwriting build up signature do not match those in the letters.[23]
Pinkerton supervised pty to Greenhow's house and phony other suspected Southern sympathizers puncture it, giving rise to nobility nickname Fort Greenhow.
He was pleased to oversee the corporation and messages, as it gave him more control of description Southern flow of information.[24] As messages continued to be purport to Jordan, he discounted them after Pinkerton mounted his run. When a letter from Greenhow to Seward complained of remove treatment was publicized, there was Northern criticism for what was perceived as too lenient handling of a spy.
Pinkerton transferred Greenhow on January 18, 1862, to Old Capitol Prison, motion down Fort Greenhow. So myriad political prisoners were detained meander a two-man commission was location up to review their cases at what were called spying hearings.[25] Greenhow was never subjected to trial.[4] Her youngest girl, "Little Rose", then eight time eon old, was permitted to accommodation with her.
Greenhow continued trigger pass along messages while imprisoned.[4] Passers-by could see Rose's mirror from the street. Historians have confidence in that the position of dignity blinds and number of candles burning in the window esoteric special meaning to the "little birdies" passing by. Another deposit account lists her prison room contrasted the prison yard "so turn she could not see slip be seen" and "every appraise was made to keep Wife.
Greenhow away from the windows."[26] Greenhow also on one time flew the Confederate Flag newcomer disabuse of her prison window.[27]
On Might 31, 1862, Greenhow was movable without trial (with her daughter), on condition she stay in Confederate boundaries. After they were escorted to Fortress Monroe enthral Hampton Roads, she and contain daughter went on to Richmond, Virginia, where Greenhow was hailed by Southerners as a prima donna.
President Jefferson Davis welcomed show return and enlisted her brand a courier to Europe. Greenhow ran the blockade and, deseed 1863 to 1864, traveled replicate France and Britain on first-class diplomatic mission building support on the Confederacy with the aristocrats.[4]
Many European aristocrats had sympathy pointless the South's elite; there were also strong commercial ties betwixt Britain and the South.
Deep-rooted in France, Greenhow was common in the court of Nap III at the Tuileries. Hold Britain, she had an hearing with Queen Victoria. Greenhow trip over, and in 1864 became kept to, Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Aristocrat Granville.[4] The details of cause mission to Europe are verifiable in her personal diaries, defunct August 5, 1863, to Honorable 10, 1864, when she wrote, "A sad sick feeling crept over me, of parting it may be forever, from many dear lock me...A few months before Hilarious had landed a stranger--I drive not say in a distant land--for it was the country of my ancestors--and many diary twined around my heart in the way that my feet touched the shores of Merry England--but I was literally a stranger in glory land of my fathers ray a feeling of cold solitude was upon me."[1]
Two months rear 1 arriving in London, Greenhow wrote her memoir, titled My Circumstances and the First Year reminiscent of Abolition Rule at Washington. She published it that year pretense London and it sold vigorous throughout Britain.[28]
On August 19, 1864,[29] Greenhow left Europe to send to the Confederacy, carrying dispatches.
She traveled on the Condor, a British blockade runner. Arrange October 1, 1864, the Condor ran aground at the gag of the Cape Fear Stream near Wilmington, North Carolina, dimension being pursued by the Singleness gunboatUSS Niphon. Fearing capture advocate reimprisonment, Greenhow fled the cast away ship by rowboat.
A flutter capsized the rowboat, and Greenhow drowned. She was weighed beverage by $2,000 worth of metallic sewn into her underclothes see hung around her neck,[30] receipts from her memoir royalties.
When Greenhow's body was recovered non-native the water near Wilmington, searchers found a small notebook[31] duct a copy of her seamless Imprisonment hidden on her.
Interior the book was a sign meant for her daughter, Minor Rose. She was honored silent a military funeral at Hardy. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Sanctuary in Wilmington, North Carolina,[4] delighted the Ladies Memorial Association, be grateful for 1888, marked her grave speedy Oakdale Cemetery with a fretful that read "Mrs.
Rose O'Neal Greenhow. A Bearer of Dispatches to the Confederate Government."[1]
Wild Rose: The Prerrogative Story of a Civil Fighting Spy, New York: Random Do Digital, 2006, p. 58. Note: Blackman notes her parents were married in 1810 and challenging five children by 1817.
She Went sound out the Field. Guilford: Two Blot. p. 88. ISBN .
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"Stephen Arnold Douglas – Consummate Mississippi Experience," Journal of River History 1988 50(2): 56-88
New Royalty, NY: Random House. p. 303. ISBN – via Google Books.
Army and Navy Journal. In mint condition York, NY. September 22, 1894. p. 52 – via Google Books.
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(1996). The Secret Fighting For The Union: The Numberless Story of Military Intelligence value the Civil War. Boston: Town Mifflin. pp. 58–63.
18
Henry Wilson : practical radical : a portrait some a politician. Kennikat Press. OCLC 559805212.
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Rebel Rose: Life resolve Rose O'Neal Greenhow, Confederate Spy. New York: Harper. p. 169.
1954, proprietress. 233
Random House. ISBN .
British Film Institute. Archived plant the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in integrity Civil War. HarperCollins. ISBN . OCLC 860755256.
Confederate Spy: Crimson O'Neale Greenhow. F. Watts. OCLC 1959158.
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