A Yankee Spy in Richmond

by Elizabeth L. Van Lew, David D. Ryan (Editor)

A diary of a Union spy during the Civil War sheds light on Union intelligence operations and the role played by slaves in the spy network

Genres: Civil War, Memoir, History, Nonfiction, Womens, Biography, Espionage

166 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Jerel Wilmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, but incomplete, document. This is the wartime diary of Elizabeth Van Lew, a woman who remained loyal to the Union and led a spy ring inside the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. Unfortunately, at various times in the war, Van Lew apparently felt the need to destroy parts of her journal in case she was found out and captured. As a result, large parts of the journal are just her recollections from after the war or missing entirely. Still, if you want a glimpse into the Unionist resistance inside Confederate Richmond, this is a quick and interesting read.

[MonkeyBusiness · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want an overview of the fascinating life of a civil war spy, the first part of the book fits the bill. The Diary and letters are a little difficult to follow if you don't know the story. I enjoyed the combination of summary and primary sources. If you want something more engaging, try Southern Lady, Yankee Spy by Elizabeth R Varon.

[Kressel Housman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this as a follow-up to Only Call Us Faithful, which was a novel based on the life of Elizabeth Van Lew, spy for the Union army. Since this book is her "occasional journal" and therefore her actual writing, I expected to like it even better than the novel. The trouble with reading someone else's journal, though, especially an "occasional journal," is that it makes for choppy reading. It's made worse in this case because as a spy, it was too dangerous for Miss Van Lew to record all the details, and much of what she did record was destroyed, which is evidenced by big time gaps in the journal. So if you're interested in learning about Elizabeth Van Lew, and she's worth learning about, don't start with this book. It's a good follow-up, but only after you've gotten some familiarity with the events of her life from some clearer narrative.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed the portion of the book (about 1/3 of the book) by the editor retelling her life story, more than the diary itself. I would give more stars to a more detailed biography of this incredible woman.

Also, I loved learning that Jefferson Davis had African Americans in his household spying for the Union. Apparently, he neved had a clue that his "loyal" servants weren't at all loyal. I guess he was really blind enough to believe that slaves liked being slaves.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's very interesting to read about my hometown first-hand from the collected letters of a woman who participated in its most important and historically relevant years, meaning during the Civil War. The book is slightly unsatisfying in that large swaths of time go unaccounted for and many letters are unfinished.

[Judi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this book with some skepticism, having grown up in the Southern mythology. This book begins to answer some of my questions about how so little changed with some people in the south after the Civil War. It is well researched and written and very readable.

[Milt · Rating 2 out of 5]

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