Women Spies in the American Civil War

Rather it be experiencing extreme passion to discover the world, patriotism and determinism to fight for their beliefs, or simply a desire to help, many women joined the Civil War. As an amazing step of progress in history, these heroes effectively challenged traditional values

The role of females (regardless of loyalties) shifted dramatically from household partners to that of logisticians, medical and intelligence. While we are provided the details of camp followers and sutlers which have been part of military life since time immemorial, women took on various roles that were not explicitly conceived of in the

There were many brave women who beleived ine the union cause. One of the most well know female spies was Elizebeth Van Lew. She lived in the South but had northern veiws. Elizabeth R. Varon a reporter at The New york times wrote “As she watched a secessionist procession snake through the streets of Richmond in the wake of Virginia’s vote to join the Confederacy, she knew the time for compromise had passed. “Such a sight!” Van Lew wrote. “The multitude, the mob, the whooping, the tin-pan music, and the fierceness of a surging, swelling revolution. This I witnessed. I thought of France and as the procession passed, I fell upon my knees under the angry heavens, clasped my hands and prayed, ‘Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.’”

If the women’s secret had been discovered, the soldiers did not do much except send the women back home. Some women treated soldiers who were wounded or sick coming from the battlefield, and they supplied the men with the equipment and other necessities they would need on the field. During the Civil War, Columbus, Mississippi became a well-known hospital town, taking in hundreds of the wounded. Women offered to become spies for the Confederacy to help the military gain useful information about the opposing side, and men did not commonly consider women, such as Rose O’Neal Greenhow capable of doing acts such as spying. Some Southern Democratically-involved women turned their noses from the Northern women in disgust, thinking it unbecoming to be around Republicans, and they continued this attitude for quite some time. But not all Southern women wanted the war, and they did not want to be rude to the “enemy”. One woman, Sarah Morgan, who had been treated well by the enemy said, “Fine, noble-looking men they were. One cannot help but admire such foes! . . .” In these cases where the enemy showed such acts of kindness, many Southern women felt respect and sympathy towards the Union soldiers. Though many of these opportunities for new roles for women opened up during the war, most women stayed at home and took care of their house and children.

Though both the Union and Confederacy didn't have a proper intelligence network, they both were able to acquire critical information through spies, espionage transactions, and undercover agents. Because this was one of the first American wars that spying was used in, many modern American spy tactics and techniques were introduced. They also helped deliver crucial information to both the Union and Confederate and free a great amount of slaves. Spies in The Civil war also were of a large variety of people.

Women in the Civil War were important because they played important roles. They played as nurses, spies, and some even disguised themselves as soldiers. The women could only play one of these roles. For example they can only be either a spy or nurse or a soldier. They can’t be two like a spy and a nurse.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTELLIGENCE IN THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR AND THE EFFECTS OF THE ESPIONAGE SYSTEM ON THE WAR

Actions taken by Union spies had little impact on events during the Civil War. Shortly before the Civil War officially begun, a plan to assassinate the newly-elected President Lincoln was about to take place in Baltimore, Maryland. Luckily, due to information found out by Allan Pinkerton and spies from the Pinkerton Detective Agency, they were able to prevent the assassination by sneaking Lincoln out of Baltimore and to Washington D.C. (Floyd Jr., 9). Despite taking place before the war, it is considered the greatest achievement of Union spies of the Civil War era since they were able to prevent the death of the president. If Lincoln had died, it would have been a morale booster for the Confederacy and might have helped them later on in the war.

One of the tools spies used was seduction. Women would most likely use this tool because they would appeal to men. The women would use seduction on the generals to find out their plans. Another tool was the telegraph. It paid a big role in the civil war. As soon as the spies would get information they would send the information through the telegraph. Around 15,000 lines of men were conquered thanks to the telegraph. Also spies would use a tool called a cipher. The cipher was a substitution for the alphabet. It had 26 symbols and once you unscam redbed it you would get a message. The confederates had more success by using the cipher during the civil war.

Many people question if women went into the war because of patriotism or because they lacked other opportunities. Women responded to the call differently depending on age, race, class, marital status, and number of children. They switch from lower-paying female jobs to higher-paying factory jobs. While patriotism influenced women,

When the American Civil War began on April 12th, 1861, over 3 million Union and Confederate soldiers prepared for battle. Men from all over America were called upon to support their side in the confrontation. While their battles are well documented and historically analyzed for over a hundred years, there is one aspect, one dark spot missing in the picture: the role of women in the American Civil War. From staying at home to take care of the children to disguising themselves as men to fight on the battlefield, women contributed in many ways to the war effort on both sides. Though very few women are recognized for their vital contributions, even fewer are

Espionage is “the practice of spying or of using spies, typically by governments to obtain political and military information” (source 5). The art of Espionage played an important role in the Civil War for both sides because leaders would send out committed men and women to gather intelligence and scout the actions of the opposing troops. Both sides worked extremely hard to figure out how to spy on their enemies in order to seek out and send top-secret, valuable information back to their governments. These armies were dependent on spies because they didn’t have any other military intelligence assets available during the war that could that could serve as the means to provide them with this crucial information. During the War Between the States,

Jensen, Kimberly, Mobilizing Minerva: American Women in the First World War, 2008 (Champaign, Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 2008), 244.

The Civil War altogether influenced the lives of American ladies. A modest bunch camouflaged themselves as men and joined the battle. Others served as spies and nurses. Numerous more tackled new parts at home after their spouses, siblings, and fathers reacted to the invitation to battle. A large number of oppressed ladies started the move to flexibility, starting new lives in the midst of the revulsions of war. By war's end, the amazing loss of life of roughly 620,000 officers had left endless ladies in grieving. Contrasted with past eras, American ladies in general had enhanced their instructive standing, secured extra lawful rights, and procured more noteworthy access to made merchandise by the mid-1800s. Ladies had taken part conspicuously

In the United States, women played an imperative role that is clearly depicted in American history. Women’s significance was apparent in imperative historical events such as the American Revolution, struggle for independence, and the colonial America. During the American Revolution, women contributed significantly, where they played an active role in the American armies (Wayne & Tiffany 213). In this case, the women participated in the war as soldiers, where they fought alongside men, with the intention of overwhelming nations that took part in the revolutionary war. Women such as Deborah Sampson, Hannah Snell, among many others played an active role (women soldiers) during the revolutionary war. Their active participation in battle accounted for their rise in high military ranks. The likes of Deborah Sampson were named aide-de-camps to revolutionary war generals such as John Peterson.