Was Rose Greenhow Union or Confederate?
ConfederateBorn to slaveholding parents in Maryland, Rose Greenhow was a Washington, D.C., socialite and a passionate sympathizer for the Confederate cause who became one of the most infamous Southern spies.
What happened to Rose Greenhow after the Civil War?
Weighted down by the gold, Rose drowned. Her body was found several days later and was buried with full military honors by the Confederacy. After her death, she became a revered symbol for the Confederate Cause and left a legacy of Confederate espionage.
What did Rose O'Neal accomplish?
About Rose O'Neal Greenhow. Among her accomplishments was the secret message she sent to General Pierre G.T. Beauregard which ultimately caused him to win the battle of Bull Run. She spied so successfully for the Confederacy that Jefferson Davis credited her with winning the battle of Manassas.
How did the Union finally force Greenhow quit spying?
Greenhow was finally released from prison in May 1862. Unable to keep her from spying, Union officials forced her to leave the North. She traveled to Richmond, where she was greeted warmly by Confederate leaders. In August 1863, President Jefferson Davis sent Greenhow to Europe.
Who was the first spy executed during the Civil War?
Timothy WebsterOn the day of April 29, 1862, Timothy Webster became the first person executed during the Civil War for acts of espionage.
Who won the Civil War?
the United StatesFact #8: The North won the Civil War. After four years of conflict, the major Confederate armies surrendered to the United States in April of 1865 at Appomattox Court House and Bennett Place.
When did the Civil War end?
April 12, 1861 – April 9, 1865American Civil War / Period
What law requires Confederate men between certain ages to serve in the army for three years?
Conscription ActPresident Jefferson Davis authorized the first Conscription Act on April 16, 1862. This legislation required all white males aged eighteen to thirty-five to serve three years of Confederate service if called. Soldiers already in the military would now be obligated to serve an additional twenty-four months.
How old was Rose Greenhow when died?
50 years (1814–1864)Rose O'Neal Greenhow / Age at death
Who was the most famous woman spy during the Civil War?
Belle Boyd One of the Confederacy's most famous spies, Belle Boyd's life played out like a James Bond character: she was betrayed by a lover, later captured taking Confederate papers to England, and fell in love with and married her captor.
Who was the best spy in the Civil War?
Some of the most famous Union spymasters included Allan Pinkerton, Lafayette Baker, and George H. Sharpe. Sarah Edmonds - Sarah Edmonds was a master of disguise even before she became a spy for the Union. She disguised herself as a man and entered the Union army.
What happens if a spy was caught in the Civil War?
The total number of spies executed during the Civil War is unknown. Not all spies were tried or executed after capture. In the discretion of the authorities holding them, they might be simply held in custody as political prisoners or even treated as prisoners of war and exchanged for prisoners held by the other side.
How old was Rose Greenhow when died?
50 years (1814–1864)Rose O'Neal Greenhow / Age at death
How did Robert E. Lee impact the Civil War?
Why is Robert E. Lee significant? Robert E. Lee commanded the Army of Northern Virginia, the most successful of the Southern armies during the American Civil War, and ultimately commanded all the Confederate armies. As the military leader of the defeated Confederacy, Lee became a symbol of the American South.
What was Elizabeth Van Lew role in the Civil War?
Elizabeth Van Lew (October 12, 1818 – September 25, 1900) was an American abolitionist and philanthropist who built and operated an extensive spy ring for the Union Army during the American Civil War.
When was Rose Greenhow born?
1814Rose O'Neal Greenhow / Date of birth
What happened to Rose Greenhow?
The government found that information was being leaked and the trail led to Rose Greenhow's residence, Greenhow was subject to house arrest; found to have continued her activities, in 1862 after an espionage hearing, she, with her daughter "Little Rose", was imprisoned for nearly five months in Washington, D.C. Deported to the Confederacy, she traveled to Richmond, Virginia, and began new tasks. Running the blockade, she sailed to Europe to represent the Confederacy on a diplomatic mission to France and Britain from 1863 to 1864. In 1863, she also wrote and published her memoir in London, which was popular in Britain. After her returning ship ran aground in 1864 off the coast of Wilmington, North Carolina, she drowned when her rowboat overturned as she tried to escape a Union gunboat. She was honored with a Confederate military funeral.
Who was Rose O'Neal Greenhow?
Rose O'Neal Greenhow. Rose O'Neal Greenhow (1813 – October 1, 1864) was a renowned Confederate spy during the American Civil War. A socialite in Washington, D.C., during the period before the war, she moved in important political circles and cultivated friendships with presidents, generals, senators, and high-ranking military officers ...
Why was Fort Greenhow named Fort Greenhow?
Pinkerton supervised visitors to Greenhow's house and moved other suspected Southern sympathizers into it , giving rise to the nickname Fort Greenhow. He was pleased to oversee the visitors and messages, as it gave him more control of the Southern flow of information. While messages continued to be sent to Jordan, he discounted them after Pinkerton mounted his control. When a letter from Greenhow to Seward complained of her treatment was publicized, there was Northern criticism for what was perceived as too lenient treatment of a spy. Pinkerton transferred Greenhow on January 18, 1862, to Old Capitol Prison, shutting down Fort Greenhow. So many political prisoners were detained that a two-man commission was set up to review their cases at what were called espionage hearings. Greenhow was never subjected to trial. Her youngest daughter, "Little Rose", then eight years old, was permitted to stay with her.
What was the name of the ship that Greenhow traveled on?
On August 19, 1864, Greenhow left Europe to return to the Confederacy, carrying dispatches. She traveled on the Condor, a British blockade runner. On October 1, 1864, the Condor ran aground at the mouth of the Cape Fear River near Wilmington, North Carolina, while being pursued by the Union gunboat USS Niphon.
How many children did the Greenhows have?
The Greenhows had four daughters: Florence, Gertrude, Leila, and Rose. Their youngest child was named Rose O'Neal Greenhow (her middle name being her mother's maiden), and was nicknamed "Little Rose". Robert's work with the State Department prompted the family to move with him to Mexico City in 1850 and then to San Francisco, California.
Who was Rose Greenhow married to?
In 1835, Rose married Dr. Robert Greenhow Jr. with Dolley's blessing, and by the 1850s had long been an established socialite in the capital. Robert Greenhow worked at the U.S. Department of State. Robert's step-sister, Mary Greenhow Lee, would visit him and Greenhow and the two women became close friends.
Where was Rose O'Neal Greenhow's daughter?
Rose O'Neal Greenhow with her youngest daughter and namesake, "Little" Rose, at the Old Capitol Prison, Washington , D.C., 1862. The Old Capitol Building as a prison. Knowing she was suspected of spying for the Confederacy, Greenhow feared for her remaining daughters' safety.
Where did the Greenhows move to?
In 1850 the Greenhows moved to Mexico City and then to San Francisco. After her husband’s death in 1854, Greenhow returned to Washington, D.C. Although she was a Southerner who had long been staunchly pro-slavery, she remained in Washington after the outbreak of the Civil War. Britannica Explores. 100 Women Trailblazers.
Who was Rose O'Neal married to?
Rose O’Neal married the prominent physician and historian Robert Greenhow in 1835 and became a leading hostess of Washington, D.C. She was a confidante of several powerful political figures, notably John C. Calhoun and James Buchanan, and a party to various intrigues, especially those of the Cuban general Narciso López.
What did Rose O'Neal Greenhow do?
Rose O'Neal Greenhow was able to use her powerful social connections in Washington to gather valuable information. Some of the things she learned proved to be of use to the Confederate leadership. She also worked with her ring of Confederate sympathizers to collect information and transmit it south. Or, as Rose put it, she was able to:
How did Rose help the Confederacy?
Rose was truly one of the most incredible Civil War women. She started by organizing her own spy ring in her enemy's capital, and used the information she gathered to help the Confederacy win at least one battle. She was undaunted by prison, and continued to gather information and send it south. Then, she ran the Union blockade to serve in Europe as an unofficial Confederate diplomat; and finally, she perished while once more running the blockade to return home...
How did the detectives try to entrap Rose O'Neal Greenhow?
In addition, the detectives tried to entrap her by having a young man she knew give her a letter for someone in Richmond, and asking her if she could have it sent through. Rose O'Neal Greenhow was too clever to fall that ruse, however:
What did Rose do in prison?
Despite her imprisonment, Rose continued to gather information and send it south. She would send and receive messages through people who visited her in prison , but she also encoded messages into seemingly innocent letters to fellow spies.
Where did Rose O'Neal Greenhow go to prison?
Eventually, Rose O'Neal Greenhow and "Little Rose" were moved to the Old Capitol Prison (above). The picture to the right is Rose and her daughter during their time at the Old Capitol Prison...
Did Rose O'Neal Greenhow ever reach the Confederacy?
Unfortunately, she never reached the Confederacy. On October 1, 1864, while being pursued by a Union gunboat near the port of Wilmington, North Carolina, the Condor ran aground. In an effort to avoid capture, Rose and some of her companions fled the ship in a rowboat, but the boat was capsized in the stormy sea; and Rose O'Neal Greenhow drowned...
Who was Rose O'Neal Greenhow's daughter?
For some time, Rose O'Neal Greenhow and her youngest daughter, "Little Rose," were held under arrest in a few rooms of their home, while the rest of the house was used to hold other suspected southern sympathizers and spies.
Overview
Rose O'Neal Greenhow (1813 – October 1, 1864) was a renowned Confederate spy during the American Civil War. A socialite in Washington, D.C., during the period before the war, she moved in important political circles and cultivated friendships with presidents, generals, senators, and high-ranking military officers including John C. Calhoun and James Buchanan. She used her connections to …
Early life
She was born in 1813 as Maria Rosetta O'Neale on a small plantation in Montgomery County, Maryland, northwest of Washington, D.C. (Note: The biographical note on Greenhow at the National Archives and Record Administration, which holds a collection of her papers, says that O'Neal was born in 1817 in Port Tobacco, Maryland, but it is unclear what the documentation is for this.) She was the third of five daughters of John O'Neale, a planter and slaveholder, and his wife …
Marriage and family
In 1835, Rose married Dr. Robert Greenhow Jr. with Dolley's blessing, and by the 1850s had long been an established socialite in the capital. Robert Greenhow worked at the U.S. Department of State. Robert's step-sister, Mary Greenhow Lee, would visit him and Greenhow and the two women became close friends.
The Greenhows had four daughters: Florence, Gertrude, Leila, and Rose. Their youngest child …
Confederate spy
After losing her husband, Greenhow became more sympathetic to the Confederate cause. Greenhow was an advocate for secession and "preserving the Southern way of life," including slavery. She was strongly influenced by her friendship with U.S. Senator John C. Calhoun from South Carolina. Greenhow's loyalty to the Confederacy was noted by those with similar sympathies in Was…
International acclaim
On May 31, 1862, Greenhow was released without trial (with her daughter), on condition she stay within Confederate boundaries. After they were escorted to Fortress Monroe at Hampton Roads, she and her daughter went on to Richmond, Virginia, where Greenhow was hailed by Southerners as a heroine. President Jefferson Davis welcomed her return and enlisted her as a courier to Europe. Greenhow ran the blockade and, from 1863 to 1864, traveled through France and Britain o…
Death
On August 19, 1864, Greenhow left Europe to return to the Confederacy, carrying dispatches. She traveled on the Condor, a British blockade runner. On October 1, 1864, the Condor ran aground at the mouth of the Cape Fear River near Wilmington, North Carolina, while being pursued by the Union gunboat USS Niphon. Fearing capture and reimprisonment, Greenhow fled the grounded ship by rowboat. A wave capsized the rowboat, and Greenhow drowned. She was weighed dow…
Legacy
• Since the mid-20th century, two biographies have been published about Greenhow.
• Greenhow was a featured character played by Nina Foch in an episode of the 1961 NBC TV series The Americans, The Rebellious Rose.
• Greenhow's exploits were dramatized in the 1990 television film The Rose and the Jackal, in which she was played by Madolyn Smith.
Further reading
• Abbott, Karen (2014). Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780062092892. OCLC 860755256.
• Blackman, Ann (2005). Wild Rose: Rose O'Neale Greenhow, Civil War Spy. Random House. ISBN 1400061180. OCLC 57039369.
• Burger, Nash K. (1967). Confederate Spy: Rose O'Neale Greenhow. F. Watts. OCLC 1959158.