What Risk Did Mary Richards Take?

She was enslaved from birth in Richmond, Virginia, but was effectively freed as a young child in 1843 when her owner, John Van Lew, died and his daughter, the abolitionist Elizabeth “Bet” Van Lew, took ownership of all his slaves and subsequently freed them all (though not legally, as emancipation of slaves was ...

How did Mary Bowser escape slavery?

She was enslaved from birth in Richmond, Virginia, but was effectively freed as a young child in 1843 when her owner, John Van Lew, died and his daughter, the abolitionist Elizabeth “Bet” Van Lew, took ownership of all his slaves and subsequently freed them all (though not legally, as emancipation of slaves was ...

What did Mary Richards Bowser do?

Mary Richards Bowser was born into slavery and later became a missionary to Liberia , a Union spy in the Confederate White House during the American Civil War (1861–1865), and a teacher at freedmen’s schools.

What was extremely rare about Richard’s childhood in the South?

An exceptionally bright child, Richards was very special to Elizabeth Van Lew. Van Lew had Richards baptized in a white church and later sent north to be educated. This was extremely rare for a black child in the South.

Did Mary Bowser have children?

There is no record of any children . Even after her marriage, Bowser was in close contact with the Van Lew family, clearly sharing their political goals. As a result, their wartime record was very much intertwined, and information about Bowser can be gleaned through the records of Elizabeth Van Lew.

What Native American tribe was allied with the Confederacy during the Civil War?

Special commissioner Albert Pike completes treaties with the members of the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes , giving the new Confederate States of America several allies in Indian Territory. Some members of the tribes also fought for the Confederacy.

Who was Mary Bowser a spy for?

Mary Bowser was a servant for Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Richmond. No one suspected she was feeding vital information to the Union. In the early 1860s, at the height of the Civil War, Confederate President Jefferson Davis became a very paranoid man.

What was Mary Louvestre special gift?

Mary Louvestre (or Touvestre) was a seamstress and Union spy in Norfolk, Virginia during the US Civil War. Mary delivered details of plans for the conversion of the wrecked USS Merrimack to an ironclad that would be named the CSS Virginia and which represented a great advance in Confederate naval capabilities.

Who was the first spy to be executed during the Civil War?

Is spying on the South a true story?

In “Spying on the South,” Horwitz may have found his true historical alter-ego in Frederick Law Olmsted, the elite Northeastern adventurer and prolific writer about the American South in the 1850s who later became America’s great landscape artist and designer of parks all over the United States.

Did Ewell lose Gettysburg?

Late in the afternoon of July 1, 1863 , after a full day of fierce fighting, Confederate troops finally drove the Union defenders from the fields west of Gettysburg. The advantage of holding the heights led to the Union victory at Gettysburg. ...

Who did General Ewell replace?

After several months of recovery, Ewell returned to the army and participated in the Battle of Chancellorsville. On May 23, 1863, Ewell was promoted to lieutenant general to replace General Jackson , who had been mortally wounded at Chancellorsville.

What did Belle Boyd do after the Civil War?

After this arrest, Boyd was sent to Old Capitol Prison in Washington , D.C. where she spent a month behind bars. She had a longer prison stay the following year, being incarcerated for five months.

Who did Mary Bowser married?

The records that follow her life bear witness to the many names she used. She married fellow Van Lew servant Wilson Bowser on April 16, 1861, and was then known as Mary Elizabeth Bowser. The Civil War erupted just four days before the marriage.

Where is Bowser buried?