What is Rose O Neal Greenhow famous for?
Rose O'Neal Greenhow. Rose O'Neal Greenhow (1813 or 1814 – October 1, 1864) was a renowned Confederate spy during the American Civil War.
What happened Rose O'Neal Greenhow?
Rose O'Neal Greenhow. 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.
What did Rose Greenhow do for the Civil War?
Rose Greenhow used her ample charms to pass along to Confederate officials information about the defenses of Washington and Union troop movements. She is credited with providing General P.G.T. Beauregard with information resulting in a Union rout at the First Battle of Bull Run in July 1861.
Why was Leila Greenhow called Rebel Rose?
She became known as "Rebel Rose" for her work for the South. Knowing she was suspected of spying for the Confederacy, Greenhow feared for her remaining daughters' safety. Leila was sent to Ohio to join her older sister Florence Greenhow Moore, whose husband Seymour Treadwell Moore had become a captain in the Union Army.
What happened to Rose O'Neal Greenhow?
The rowboat capsized. 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.
Was Rose O'Neal Greenhow against slavery?
Calhoun and James Buchanan. Greenhow was vehemently pro-slavery, and took advantage of societal assumptions of women's innate goodness to spy for the Confederate army. Her major accomplishment was transmitting information on the movement of Union troops to General Beauregard just prior to the Battle of Bull Run.
What did Rose Greenhow do in the Civil War?
During the Civil War, Greenhow wrote ciphered (secret code) messages to the Confederates and provided information about Union military plans. Confederate President Jefferson Davis credited her with helping the South win the First Battle of Bull Run.
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 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 ...
Who played Greenhow in the Rose and the Jackal?
Greenhow's exploits were dramatized in the 1990 television film The Rose and the Jackal, in which she was played by Madolyn Smith. Greenhow was a featured character played by Sue-Ann Leeds in the 1993 television drama Class of '61.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Why was Rose O'Neal Greenhow 6 imprisoned?
Fact about Rose O’Neal Greenhow 6: imprisoned. Because of the espionage hearing , she was 5 months imprisoned on August 1862. While in prison some people sometimes saw her flew Confederate flag out of her window and some others important “sign” by the candle’s burning number. Check Also: 10 Facts about Robert Catesby.
Who did Rose marry?
Rose married quite “perfect” man in 1835 Dr. Robert Greenhow who later taught her many things like, history, politics also access to government’s documents through his work at the Department of State. Those aspects help her to easily move the social circle of capital’s socialite later.
Who was the 2nd Earl of Granville?
During her stay in Europe, she engaged 2nd Earl of Granville, George Leveson Gower.
Where is Rose O'Neal Greenhow buried?
She was buried with military honors in Oakdale Cemetery in Wilmington, North Carolina.
How old was Rose when she married Robert Greenhow?
At the age of 26, Rose disappointed an army of suitors by marrying 43-year-old Dr. Robert Greenhow, a wealthy and learned man with whom she had four daughters. In 1850, the couple left Washington and traveled west to pursue the promise of great financial gain. Instead, an injury led to the early death of Dr. Greenhow in San Francisco.
Who was the head of the Secret Service at the Greenhow home?
Soon, her activities led Federal officials to become suspicious. By late July 1861, Allan Pinkerton , the head of the newly formed Secret Service for the Federal government, ordered surveillance of the Greenhow home.
Where was Rose O'Neal born?
Early Years#N#Born in Port Tobacco, Maryland , as a teenager Rose O’Neal moved from her family’s Maryland farm to her aunt’s fashionable boardinghouse in Washington, DC. Personable, intelligent, and outgoing, she adapted easily to the social scene of the capital, and people in Washington’s highest circles opened their doors to her.
Where is Rose O'Neal Greenhow from?
Rose O'Neal Greenhow. She was born Maria Rosetta O’Neale in Montgomery County, Maryland to John O'Neale and Eliza Henrietta Hamilton and was orphaned as a child.
When was Little Rose transferred to the Old Capitol?
When guards discovered a Confederate plot to free Greenhow, the government acted, ordering her and her daughter, "Little Rose" transferred to the Old Capitol Prison on January 18, 1862.
Who was the Confederate President who credited Greenhow with securing victory at Manassas?
Confederate President Jefferson Davis credited Greenhow's information with securing victory at Manassas for the South. On August 11, 1861, she was able to send a report several pages long, detailing the complete Washington defense system.
Where was the Rebel Rose drowned?
She was drowned off Fort Fisher from the blockade runner ‘Condor' while attempting to run the blockade on September 30, 1864. Her body was washed ashore at Fort Fisher Beach and brought to Wilmington.". The "Rebel Rose" of the Civil War. "I employed every capacity with which God has endowed me, and the result was far more successful ...
Who was the young lieutenant who proposed that Greenhow be a spy for the Confederacy?
A young lieutenant from Virginia named Thomas Jordan knew that Greenhow was probably the best-placed southerner in Washington and, after meeting with her, he proposed that she spy for the Confederacy, acting on behalf of Gen. Beauregard and she accepted.
What did Rose Greenhow do?
Rose Greenhow was already establishing a network of spies and managed to send crucial information out of the Federal capital to General Beauregard, possibly influencing the outcome of the Battle of First Bull Run (Manassas.) For Little Rose, home life changed.
Who is Rose Greenhow's mother?
Little Rose Greenhow and her mother, Rose O’Neal Greenhow. The girl is Little Rose. Perhaps a more innocent and less intriguing spy than her mother, but a little rebel spy nonetheless. Her story is intertwined with her mother’s tale, of course, but it seems right to pull her from the shadows when uncovering the mother/daughter spy team operating in ...
What was the theme of Little Rose's Outside the Greenhow Home?
Outside the Greenhow Home, the country and lawmakers debated slavery, states rights, and secession. Technically, Little Rose lived at the center of the drama, but she would’ve had limited knowledge and understanding of her changing world. She was smart though, surrounded by adults, and easily influenced so what she did know would’ve been the pro-Southern views expressed by her mother and visitors.
Why did Little Rose cry?
The food sent to the house-prisoners was reduced to cheese and crackers, causing Little Rose to endure hunger pangs and cry herself to sleep. There were days when Little Rose could go outside, and the friends, hearing about her hunger, started bringing her portions of food.
Where did the Greenhows go?
They arrived in Richmond, Virginia, in June, and met Jefferson Davis a short time later. In the Confederate capital, Little Rose went with her mother to visit soldiers in the hospitals and probably overheard her mother talking secretively about a new mission, one that would take them overseas.
What did Little Rose say to the officers in the prison?
When they arrived at the prison, Little Rose announced sweetly to one of the officers, “You have got one of the hardest little rebels here that you ever saw.”. That little rebel suffered again from hunger and illness during the imprisonment.
What song did Little Rose learn?
The girl seemed to take an interest in the political and military happenings of the day, quickly learning a pro-Confederate song called “Old Abe’s Lament.”.
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.