Many civilians on both sides during the Civil War hoped to support the war effort as spies, but only a few actually became useful agents. One of the most effective-and least known-was a woman living in the heart of Confederate Richmond. Elizabeth Van Lew, called “Crazy Bet” by her suspicious and condescending neighbors, maintained contact with Union authorities throughout most of the war and earned the thanks of Gen. U. S. Grant, among others, at the war’s end. The … More >>
A Yankee Spy in Richmond: The Civil War Diary of “Crazy Bet” Van Lew
