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Lincoln's Spies: Their Secret War to Save a Nation
A major addition to the history of the Civil War, Lincoln’s Spies is a riveting account of the secret battles waged by Union agents to save a nation. Filled with espionage, sabotage, and intrigue, it is also a striking portrait of a shrewd president who valued what his operatives uncovered.
Veteran journalist Douglas Waller, who has written ground-breaking intelligence histories, turns his sights on the shadow war of four secret agents for the North—three men and one woman. From the tense days before Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration in 1861 to the surrender at Appomattox four years later, Waller delivers a fast-paced narrative of the heroes—and scoundrels—who informed Lincoln’s generals on the enemy positions for crucial battles and busted up clandestine Rebel networks.
Famed detective Allan Pinkerton mounted a successful covert operation to slip Lincoln through Baltimore before his inauguration to foil an assassination attempt. But he failed as General George McClellan’s spymaster, delivering faulty intelligence reports that overestimated Confederate strength.
George Sharpe, an erudite New York lawyer, succeeded Pinkerton as spymaster for the Union’s Army of the Potomac. Recruiting skilled operatives, some of whom dressed in Rebel uniforms, Sharpe ran highly successful intelligence operations that outpaced anything the enemy could field.
Elizabeth Van Lew, a Virginia heiress who hated slavery and disapproved of secession, was one of Sharpe’s most successful agents. She ran a Union spy ring in Richmond out of her mansion, with dozens of agents feeding her military and political secrets she funneled to General Ulysses S. Grant as his army closed in on the Confederate capital. Van Lew became one of the unsung heroes of the war.
Lafayette Baker was a handsome Union officer with a controversial past, whose agents clashed with Pinkerton’s operatives. The unscrupulous Baker assembled a retinue of disreputable spies, thieves, and prostitutes to root out traitors in Washington, D.C. But he failed at his most important mission: uncovering the threat to Lincoln from John Wilkes Booth and his gang.
Behind these secret operatives was a president, one of our greatest, who was an avid consumer of intelligence and a ruthless aficionado of clandestine warfare, willing to take chances to win the war. Lincoln’s Spies, as Waller vividly depicts in his excellent new book, set the template for the dark arts the CIA would practice in the future.
Veteran journalist Douglas Waller, who has written ground-breaking intelligence histories, turns his sights on the shadow war of four secret agents for the North—three men and one woman. From the tense days before Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration in 1861 to the surrender at Appomattox four years later, Waller delivers a fast-paced narrative of the heroes—and scoundrels—who informed Lincoln’s generals on the enemy positions for crucial battles and busted up clandestine Rebel networks.
Famed detective Allan Pinkerton mounted a successful covert operation to slip Lincoln through Baltimore before his inauguration to foil an assassination attempt. But he failed as General George McClellan’s spymaster, delivering faulty intelligence reports that overestimated Confederate strength.
George Sharpe, an erudite New York lawyer, succeeded Pinkerton as spymaster for the Union’s Army of the Potomac. Recruiting skilled operatives, some of whom dressed in Rebel uniforms, Sharpe ran highly successful intelligence operations that outpaced anything the enemy could field.
Elizabeth Van Lew, a Virginia heiress who hated slavery and disapproved of secession, was one of Sharpe’s most successful agents. She ran a Union spy ring in Richmond out of her mansion, with dozens of agents feeding her military and political secrets she funneled to General Ulysses S. Grant as his army closed in on the Confederate capital. Van Lew became one of the unsung heroes of the war.
Lafayette Baker was a handsome Union officer with a controversial past, whose agents clashed with Pinkerton’s operatives. The unscrupulous Baker assembled a retinue of disreputable spies, thieves, and prostitutes to root out traitors in Washington, D.C. But he failed at his most important mission: uncovering the threat to Lincoln from John Wilkes Booth and his gang.
Behind these secret operatives was a president, one of our greatest, who was an avid consumer of intelligence and a ruthless aficionado of clandestine warfare, willing to take chances to win the war. Lincoln’s Spies, as Waller vividly depicts in his excellent new book, set the template for the dark arts the CIA would practice in the future.
624 pages, Hardcover
First published August 6, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
February 16, 2020
When the American Civil War became a total war and not just an armed misunderstanding, a network of spies and informants was needed to help the generals make their decisions on how to move and place their armies. We know of the use of cavalry as information gatherers, but the use of small bands of spies and individuals planted behind enemy lines in strategic locations, some in both governments, is told.
This book, placed in the war's Eastern theater tells the story of how that came about and how and who gathered that information. Usually, information about these operations is sketchy at best because of the secrecy involved, but the author did a great job of weaving a story of these events about the underside of government and military covert operations in Washington D.C. and Richmond, Va. throughout the war and also included the Lincoln assassination investigation.
One drawback of the book was the author telling stories of different spies in the same timeline and the stories got broken up and were difficult to follow at times.
Overall, I was surprised at the length and depth of the book and the wealth of information that was presented. Many official websites are made available in the back of the book to explore that provide a vast amount of added information on related subjects.
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This book, placed in the war's Eastern theater tells the story of how that came about and how and who gathered that information. Usually, information about these operations is sketchy at best because of the secrecy involved, but the author did a great job of weaving a story of these events about the underside of government and military covert operations in Washington D.C. and Richmond, Va. throughout the war and also included the Lincoln assassination investigation.
One drawback of the book was the author telling stories of different spies in the same timeline and the stories got broken up and were difficult to follow at times.
Overall, I was surprised at the length and depth of the book and the wealth of information that was presented. Many official websites are made available in the back of the book to explore that provide a vast amount of added information on related subjects.
.
February 2, 2025
Lincoln's Spies: Their Secret War to Save a Nation by Douglas Waller is an informative read about some of the untold stories of the Civil War, as it probes the secret battles waged by Union and Confederate agents in their attempt to assist their respective administrations and military leadership.
I thought Waller told and engaging story and some of the characters like Allen Pinkerton may be more familiar with readers not as familiar with some notable people of the civil war. This book focuses on the Eastern campaign which I thought was a slight drawback, but I understand that Lincoln was hyper fixated on the section as it was closer to each sides’ capitals. Lincoln’s spies can get a bit choppy at times as the author jumps from agent to agent. Overall interesting book, and does a good job of explaining agent events in the context of the larger war.
I thought Waller told and engaging story and some of the characters like Allen Pinkerton may be more familiar with readers not as familiar with some notable people of the civil war. This book focuses on the Eastern campaign which I thought was a slight drawback, but I understand that Lincoln was hyper fixated on the section as it was closer to each sides’ capitals. Lincoln’s spies can get a bit choppy at times as the author jumps from agent to agent. Overall interesting book, and does a good job of explaining agent events in the context of the larger war.
March 4, 2024
A highly detailed and researched telling of spies during the Civil War. Not just Lincoln's spies either, although it does specifically deal with Alan Pinkerton, Elizabeth Van Lew, George Sharpe, and Lafayette Baker. Spies from the North, the South, Canada, Britian, so many people and so much information it tended to give me a headache if I didn't set the book aside now and then. Some spies had great success, some not so much. Lafayette Baker seemed to be more of a crook than a good spy and Alan Pinkerton was kind of a idiot. A very long book but it was a good read. Nothing new in the pictures, seems mostly the same stock photos you always see. A very nice wrap up of what happened to a lot of the people mentioned in the book after the end of the Civil War, Lincoln's assassination, and reconstruction.
September 18, 2019
It goes without saying that intelligence gathering during the American Civil War was an inexact science. Information was derived from a myriad of sources that included; newspaper articles, railroad passengers and riders, free blacks, runaway slaves, deserters, prisoners of war, local farmers and other non-combatants along with the Union’s use of hot air balloons during the first half of the war. This menagerie of sources produced a great deal of conflicting information that needed to be sifted through and analyzed. The key information rested on how many troops each side possessed and their location. The end result was a decision-making process that at times was flawed and battlefield decisions that rested on a weak foundation. If one was to compare the intelligence strengths of the Union and the Confederacy, the northern spy network had major advantages and, in the end, would create an intelligence service that would later develop into an effective organization that contributed to victory.
Effective studies of Civil War spying are few in number and Douglas Waller’s new book LINCOLN’S SPIES: THEIR SECRET WAR TO SAVE THE NATION is a wonderful addition. Waller has previously shown himself to be adept at dissecting important aspect of the history of American intelligence in his previous works. DISCIPLES: THE WORLD WAR TWO MISSIONS OF THE CIA, DIRECTORS WHO FOUGHT FOR WILD BILL DONOVAN, and WILD BILL DONOVAN: THE SPY MASTER WHO CREATED THE OSS AND MODERN AMERICAN ESPIONAGE are all thoughtful, well researched monographs with a strong element of analysis. Waller has now shifted his focus to the Civil War and those interested in early American intelligence gathering and techniques should be very satisfied with the latest contribution to the topic.
Waller focuses on the Civil War’s Eastern Theater, arguing that a comprehensive history of all theaters of the war would require a minimum of three volumes. His approach includes Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. because some of the largest, costliest, and significant battles of the war took place in those states. Waller zeroes in on a number of important characters but his main focus is on Allan Pinkerton, the founder of the Pinkerton Detective Agency, and a man whose ego knew no bounds and in the end was not a very effective head of Lincoln’s spy organization despite the reputation that he himself cultivated. Lafayette Baker is another individual who plays a significant role in Waller’s narrative. Baker was a poorly educated aimless drifter who arrived in Washington after a rather questionable career as a detective in California. He would eventually convince Secretary of War Edwin Stanton to employ him and set up a spy network for the military. In the end the corruption, use of blackmail, coercion, and illegal means to extract information and bribes would lead to the end of Baker’s career as a wartime spy by 1864. Next, Waller introduces the reader to George Sharpe, probably the most effective Union spy during the war whose intelligence was the most accurate and in the end after his network of detectives was able to assist General George Meade at Gettysburg would join with General Ulysses S. Grant in helping to achieve final victory. With a background as a lawyer who inherited a great deal of money Sharpe never could conceive that he would become the war’s “preeminent spymaster.” Lastly, Waller discusses the contributions of Elizabeth Van Law, a Richmond socialite who abhorred slavery and all the Confederacy stood for. Using her “social contacts” inside the Confederate government she was able to tap into a great deal of useful information. She would create the “Richmond Spy Ring” and was very helpful for the Union cause. She provided accurate estimates of Confederate forces in and around Richmond, assistance for runaway slaves to reach Union lines, helped organize prison breaks, and hid political prisoners and those suspected of spying against the Confederacy.
Waller, a stickler for detail, provides mini biographies of all his characters particularly those who were involved with the aforementioned four figures. His discussion of the course of the war and its major players, be it Generals Robert E. Lee, George McClellan, George Meade Joseph Hooker, Ulysses S. Grant, President Lincoln, Secretary of Defense Edwin M. Stanton, and Jefferson Davis among many others echoes the comments of earlier historians. Waller excels in describing the differences and dislikes that led to competitions and downright hostility among allies especially Sharpe and Pinkerton; Baker and Pinkerton; Meade and Sharpe; Lincoln and McClellan; Meade and Grant among many presented. The strategies and geographical and economic conflicts are presented in a cogent fashion and are easily understood by the general reader.
Perhaps Waller’s best chapters include his analysis of the contribution intelligence made to the Union victory at Gettysburg which along with Grant’s triumph at Vicksburg was the turning point in the war. Another fascinating chapter deals with Allan Pinkerton and how poorly he ran his intelligence operation for Lincoln and how incompetent he was. A key to finally defeating the Confederacy was Sharpe’s relationship with Grant that Waller explores in detail. Their mutual respect for each other’s skills and capacity in their fields of expertise was the foundation of their personal alliance. Lastly, and throughout the book Waller discusses Civil War spy craft and how it evolved into an effective tool for victory.
According to Waller intelligence gathering during the war also pioneered what today is called “all-source intelligence” under the leadership of George Sharpe. The result was “merging espionage, cavalry reconnaissance, and signal intercepts with prisoner, deserter, and refugee interrogations to produce reports on Confederate strength and movement. The phone tapping, human collection, and aerial snooping today’s U.S. spy community engages in can be traced to the Civil War. It’s no wonder that the CIA tasked analysts to study era’s tradecraft for lessons learned.” (417)
The human side of the war is on full display as the carnage was unimaginable up until that time. The book does not present itself as a history the war, but just a component that contributed to the northern victory. An aspect of the war that has not been given enough treatment by historians. The book itself does a remarkable job focusing on the Eastern front of the war and I recommend it to the general reader as well as Civil War aficionados
Effective studies of Civil War spying are few in number and Douglas Waller’s new book LINCOLN’S SPIES: THEIR SECRET WAR TO SAVE THE NATION is a wonderful addition. Waller has previously shown himself to be adept at dissecting important aspect of the history of American intelligence in his previous works. DISCIPLES: THE WORLD WAR TWO MISSIONS OF THE CIA, DIRECTORS WHO FOUGHT FOR WILD BILL DONOVAN, and WILD BILL DONOVAN: THE SPY MASTER WHO CREATED THE OSS AND MODERN AMERICAN ESPIONAGE are all thoughtful, well researched monographs with a strong element of analysis. Waller has now shifted his focus to the Civil War and those interested in early American intelligence gathering and techniques should be very satisfied with the latest contribution to the topic.
Waller focuses on the Civil War’s Eastern Theater, arguing that a comprehensive history of all theaters of the war would require a minimum of three volumes. His approach includes Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. because some of the largest, costliest, and significant battles of the war took place in those states. Waller zeroes in on a number of important characters but his main focus is on Allan Pinkerton, the founder of the Pinkerton Detective Agency, and a man whose ego knew no bounds and in the end was not a very effective head of Lincoln’s spy organization despite the reputation that he himself cultivated. Lafayette Baker is another individual who plays a significant role in Waller’s narrative. Baker was a poorly educated aimless drifter who arrived in Washington after a rather questionable career as a detective in California. He would eventually convince Secretary of War Edwin Stanton to employ him and set up a spy network for the military. In the end the corruption, use of blackmail, coercion, and illegal means to extract information and bribes would lead to the end of Baker’s career as a wartime spy by 1864. Next, Waller introduces the reader to George Sharpe, probably the most effective Union spy during the war whose intelligence was the most accurate and in the end after his network of detectives was able to assist General George Meade at Gettysburg would join with General Ulysses S. Grant in helping to achieve final victory. With a background as a lawyer who inherited a great deal of money Sharpe never could conceive that he would become the war’s “preeminent spymaster.” Lastly, Waller discusses the contributions of Elizabeth Van Law, a Richmond socialite who abhorred slavery and all the Confederacy stood for. Using her “social contacts” inside the Confederate government she was able to tap into a great deal of useful information. She would create the “Richmond Spy Ring” and was very helpful for the Union cause. She provided accurate estimates of Confederate forces in and around Richmond, assistance for runaway slaves to reach Union lines, helped organize prison breaks, and hid political prisoners and those suspected of spying against the Confederacy.
Waller, a stickler for detail, provides mini biographies of all his characters particularly those who were involved with the aforementioned four figures. His discussion of the course of the war and its major players, be it Generals Robert E. Lee, George McClellan, George Meade Joseph Hooker, Ulysses S. Grant, President Lincoln, Secretary of Defense Edwin M. Stanton, and Jefferson Davis among many others echoes the comments of earlier historians. Waller excels in describing the differences and dislikes that led to competitions and downright hostility among allies especially Sharpe and Pinkerton; Baker and Pinkerton; Meade and Sharpe; Lincoln and McClellan; Meade and Grant among many presented. The strategies and geographical and economic conflicts are presented in a cogent fashion and are easily understood by the general reader.
Perhaps Waller’s best chapters include his analysis of the contribution intelligence made to the Union victory at Gettysburg which along with Grant’s triumph at Vicksburg was the turning point in the war. Another fascinating chapter deals with Allan Pinkerton and how poorly he ran his intelligence operation for Lincoln and how incompetent he was. A key to finally defeating the Confederacy was Sharpe’s relationship with Grant that Waller explores in detail. Their mutual respect for each other’s skills and capacity in their fields of expertise was the foundation of their personal alliance. Lastly, and throughout the book Waller discusses Civil War spy craft and how it evolved into an effective tool for victory.
According to Waller intelligence gathering during the war also pioneered what today is called “all-source intelligence” under the leadership of George Sharpe. The result was “merging espionage, cavalry reconnaissance, and signal intercepts with prisoner, deserter, and refugee interrogations to produce reports on Confederate strength and movement. The phone tapping, human collection, and aerial snooping today’s U.S. spy community engages in can be traced to the Civil War. It’s no wonder that the CIA tasked analysts to study era’s tradecraft for lessons learned.” (417)
The human side of the war is on full display as the carnage was unimaginable up until that time. The book does not present itself as a history the war, but just a component that contributed to the northern victory. An aspect of the war that has not been given enough treatment by historians. The book itself does a remarkable job focusing on the Eastern front of the war and I recommend it to the general reader as well as Civil War aficionados
September 1, 2019
This is a meticulously detailed, impressively researched book on the Civil War, centering on the role of intelligence. History buffs will LOVE it, but there was a bit more than I really wanted to know about battle details. etc., so I confess I skimmed or even skipped some parts. There re a LOT of persons and places mentioned, and it was impossible to keep them all straight. To appreciate it properly, the book requires concentrated attention; it is not a vacation book!
September 3, 2020
A highly entertaining and well researched look into intelligence gathering during the Civil War mostly from the Union side whoose resources were more abundant than the Confederacy's and directed in large part by Lincoln himself who proved to be a savy inturpretor of the raw data people, places and things in constant motion during the fog of war.
January 16, 2020
Just when you thought McClellan was the biggest tool of the war, along comes Pinkerton.
January 16, 2020
A compelling look at the often-unknown spy networks that helped the Union win the Civil War. With his focus on Allen Pinkerton, Elizabeth Van Lew, George Sharpe, and Lafayette Baker, the author lets us into the secrets of finding secrets. Some of their activities helped the North win battles, while others show the failures of integrity that those with power sometimes exhibit. Well written and comprehensive, there is a little bit of everything for everyone in this well researched tome.
December 9, 2025
Military Intelligence and Other Oxymorons
Douglas Waller’s 2019 “Lincoln’s Spies: Their Secret War to Save a Nation” is a brisk, well-reported narrative of Civil War intelligence that foregrounds the shadow work behind the Union victory. Waller follows four principal figures: Allan Pinkerton, George Sharpe, Elizabeth Van Lew, and Lafayette Baker; tracing their contributions (and failures) fed the larger war effort and shaped Lincoln’s and his generals’ use of clandestine information. The book is detail-rich, anecdote-driven, and attentive to personality as much as policy.
Waller frames the story from the tense days before Lincoln’s 1861 inauguration through Appomattox (and beyond for its central players), alternating biographical sketches with episodes of tradecraft, intercepted dispatches, undercover operations, and domestic counterintelligence inside Washington and Richmond.
One can’t talk about Civil War intelligence without Allan Pinkerton, the famed private detective who orchestrated Lincoln’s secret passage through Baltimore and early Union security efforts. Waller shows both Pinkerton’s theatrical successes and comical failures on behalf of McClellan.
Post-McClellan, the narrative shifts to George Sharpe: an erudite New York lawyer whose disciplined recruitment and field operations are presented as among the Union’s most effective intelligence work. Sharpe’s methods contrast sharply with Pinkerton’s flair, offering a glimpse of what proto-professional intelligence could look like.
On the civilian side, we meet Elizabeth Van Lew: a Richmond heiress whose deep Union sympathies drove her to run one of the Confederacy’s most valuable internal spy rings. Her courage and ingenuity inside enemy territory give the book some of its most compelling moments.
And then there’s Lafayette Baker, operating in the murky middle ground between law enforcement and political policing. A controversial and often unscrupulous figure, Baker’s work in the capital produced useful arrests but failed spectacularly to anticipate the Booth conspiracy.
Waller’s prose remains propulsive throughout; he selects episodes that illuminate character while clarifying why specific bits of intelligence mattered to campaigns and to Lincoln himself. The book excels at showing espionage not as a coherent institution but as a patchwork of civic loyalties, amateurism, opportunism, and improvisation.
The Richmond/Washington juxtaposition between Van Lew’s undercover work inside the Confederate capital versus Baker’s rougher policing in the Union capital is particularly evocative and well-handled.
This is a rewarding read for anyone seeking more than a rehash of Pinkerton and McClellan. Waller provides a fuller context for Civil War tradecraft and intelligence, populating the narrative with colorful characters and an engaging general history of a niche but vital subject.
Douglas Waller’s 2019 “Lincoln’s Spies: Their Secret War to Save a Nation” is a brisk, well-reported narrative of Civil War intelligence that foregrounds the shadow work behind the Union victory. Waller follows four principal figures: Allan Pinkerton, George Sharpe, Elizabeth Van Lew, and Lafayette Baker; tracing their contributions (and failures) fed the larger war effort and shaped Lincoln’s and his generals’ use of clandestine information. The book is detail-rich, anecdote-driven, and attentive to personality as much as policy.
Waller frames the story from the tense days before Lincoln’s 1861 inauguration through Appomattox (and beyond for its central players), alternating biographical sketches with episodes of tradecraft, intercepted dispatches, undercover operations, and domestic counterintelligence inside Washington and Richmond.
One can’t talk about Civil War intelligence without Allan Pinkerton, the famed private detective who orchestrated Lincoln’s secret passage through Baltimore and early Union security efforts. Waller shows both Pinkerton’s theatrical successes and comical failures on behalf of McClellan.
Post-McClellan, the narrative shifts to George Sharpe: an erudite New York lawyer whose disciplined recruitment and field operations are presented as among the Union’s most effective intelligence work. Sharpe’s methods contrast sharply with Pinkerton’s flair, offering a glimpse of what proto-professional intelligence could look like.
On the civilian side, we meet Elizabeth Van Lew: a Richmond heiress whose deep Union sympathies drove her to run one of the Confederacy’s most valuable internal spy rings. Her courage and ingenuity inside enemy territory give the book some of its most compelling moments.
And then there’s Lafayette Baker, operating in the murky middle ground between law enforcement and political policing. A controversial and often unscrupulous figure, Baker’s work in the capital produced useful arrests but failed spectacularly to anticipate the Booth conspiracy.
Waller’s prose remains propulsive throughout; he selects episodes that illuminate character while clarifying why specific bits of intelligence mattered to campaigns and to Lincoln himself. The book excels at showing espionage not as a coherent institution but as a patchwork of civic loyalties, amateurism, opportunism, and improvisation.
The Richmond/Washington juxtaposition between Van Lew’s undercover work inside the Confederate capital versus Baker’s rougher policing in the Union capital is particularly evocative and well-handled.
This is a rewarding read for anyone seeking more than a rehash of Pinkerton and McClellan. Waller provides a fuller context for Civil War tradecraft and intelligence, populating the narrative with colorful characters and an engaging general history of a niche but vital subject.
October 5, 2019
Lincoln’s Spies was about the period and events surrounding the lead up to and actual Civil War. This period in our Nation’s history resulted in rapid changes in our country for better and worse. Waller has written an entertaining chronicle of the times and the people that made and influenced history. Many of the people in this book are not household names and there are no statutes for them, yet, in some cases their efforts helped save the Union as much as the efforts of Grant and Lincoln.
The author takes us from Fort Sumter to Appomattox, his narration is thorough with an easy to follow writing style, the notes prove that his research was quite thorough. The sentence structure was at times questionable and the work does not rise to the heights of other civil war authors such as, Stephen Ambrose and James McPherson only because his approach is different.
The descriptions of Washington DC and Richmond during this war are graphic and examples of Waller’s unique style. The depiction of the sweltering heat, disease, mud, drunkenness, soldiers wandering all over each town, some with wounds and many sleeping on the street, overcrowded homes and hotels, poor hygiene, swamp gas; along with prostitutes’, thieves and rampant crime; paint a horrid yet accurate picture.
The strength of this work is the background of battles from the spy’s point of view and his biographical sketches of the spy’s, Generals and Presidents who most impacted the outcomes of battles, including the maneuvers of the combatants and the politics of the times. There are snippets in this book that I have read nowhere else nor as graphic, for instance:
“Lincoln was one of the least experienced men who ever took the office of President, he had the briefest of formal education and was largely a self-taught lawyer, further he had failed twice in bids for the U.S. Senate and had no administrative experience in a senior government position.
“Davis was haggard and worn looking, he was afflicted with neuralgia, digestive disorder, venereal disease and bronchial problems and had lost sight in one eye. He was a workaholic, inaccessible, haughty and peevish – not suffering fools lightly and always feuding with his Generals”.
Spies such as George Sharpe and Elizabeth Van Lew are real heroes and our history books should have given more attention to their work, certainly Waller does! Sharpe made use of many creative methods in this craft and it is said that he revolutionized the profession of spying. His work on behalf of Grant, particularly at Gettysburg was invaluable in securing a victory. Many other Union Generals grossly overestimated the size of the Confederate Armies facing them and as a result made bad decisions. Sharpe gave Grant the accuracy he needed in the battle with lee’s armies.
Van Lew’s courage was her amazing attribute, she risked capture and imprisonment daily. Her work in the City of Richmond and her band of spies saved many lives and gave Grant the intelligence he needed to secure victory for the Union in the South.
Waller’s portrayal of the lead up to the Gettysburg campaign is quite interesting with some controversy and some little-known facts. Listed below are some of the things this reviewer found quite remarkable:
1.This reviewer has always believed that the two armies just collided at Gettysburg. Yet Waller points out that General Meade while trying to decide on the right site for battle had scouted Gettysburg and correctly concluded that Cemetery Hill and Cemetery Ridge were good sites for his army to occupy.
2. Among the many little-known facts presented by Waller was that Lee was reluctant to fight at Gettysburg and during this engagement he was quite sick and stricken with diarrhea.
3. This reviewer believes that Waller is wrong in his depiction of Longstreet as having been derelict in his duties at Gettysburg. In many of the books written about this battle an allegation is made (by his enemies after the war) that Longstreet was not the good soldier and he was less than enthusiastic about following Lee’s orders at Gettysburg. There is a quote written about Longstreet telling Lee that he had been a soldier for 30 years and his experience tells him that Lee’s strategy on the second day of battle will not work. These allegations while widespread have been documented based on primary evidence to be untrue, Longstreet did everything possible to support Lee. The defeat at Gettysburg was all on Lee and he acknowledged it.
4. If the Gettysburg battle is of interest to the reader, then Meade’s council of war with his Generals is not a surprise. Waller indicates that the spy Sharpe was present, and this is a surprise. Meade asked his Generals whether they should withdraw from battle or fight another day. Because of the intelligence provided by Sharpe concerning the condition of Lee’s army the decision was made to continue the fight. Sharpe’s presence at the war council and his important contribution are new facts provided by Waller.
5. Waller tells us why the Confederate artillery barrage failed prior to Pickett’s charge. Prior to the barrage, the Confederate artillery commanders could look up the hill and see the Union position, hundreds of yards away; these were experienced men, tested in battle, yet they overshot the targets, why? Some historians say it was because of all the smoke in the Valley (two hundred cannons firing at once). Waller tells us it was because of poor ammunition! This is new information and Waller does not document a source for this ammunition failure and I question whether it is true! Is Waller saying that this ammunition had never been used before?
6. While a subordinate to Halleck in Tennessee and when Halleck became Chief of Staff in Washington Grant had difficulty with Halleck; yet, Waller tells us that when Grant was put in charge, Halleck became his chief of Staff. Grant never discussed his difficulty with Halleck, yet, many biographies mention the issue, but no one states that Halleck became a subordinate to Grant.
7. Waller points out on many occasions Union Generals ‘lost their nerve” resulting in either defeat or Confederate Army escape, this reviewer had not seen this choice of words before. It does seem accurate even Lincoln remarked about Grant’s courage and willingness to fight. As stated previously once accurate information about troop strength on the Confederate side was available and used, then it was clear that in most engagements the Union had superior numbers. This failure to know troop strength was certainly the fact that haunted McClellan.
8.Waller did a commendable job of describing General Early’s threat to Washington DC. This was an intelligence failure and an embarrassment to Grant, because at the time no one could find Early’s army. Grant never lost faith in his spymaster; Sharpe redeemed himself for this one failure many times.
In the final analysis, it is Waller’s conclusion that the spy system lead by Sharpe was an important factor in ending this war.
Many, many topics for further discussion are present in this book. A student of Civil War history will find a treasure trove of interesting views presented by Waller. The author was successful in proving that superior intelligence on the Union side resulted in the conclusion of the War. The courage and resourcefulness of the men and woman who risked life and limb in the Union case makes this book well worth reading.
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January 24, 2022While I enjoyed the writing style in the book, the first thing that impressed me was the book’s structure. Each of the four spies whose work the author features gets his or her own introductory chapter. You learn about their background and at least a bit of something about their reason for being in the book.
We often think of Allan Pinkerton as the guy who started Lincoln’s version of a Secret Service. He and his agents likely enough protected Lincoln from being assassinated in Baltimore prior to his assumption of the presidency. We think of Pinkerton the detective these days. But he started his adult life as a barrel maker. And while he protected President Lincoln, he also gave General George McLellan faulty intelligence about the size of the Confederate army.
In addition to Pinkerton, you’ll read about the contribution New York Lawyer George Sharpe made to the Unio effort with his prostitution ring deliberately placed in the nation’s capital. Virginia Heiress Elizabeth Van Lew is another fascinating person featured in this book. She moves messages to General Grant and others that help him in the war effort. Union Office Lafayette Baker is the fourth member of the group, and his life is equally fascinating. Waller’s introductions to these people are brief, but they will help you avoid confusion as you progress through the book.
Unfortunately, you’ll get a prodigious amount of Civil War battle history here, and that could turn into a slog if you’re not all that interested in those battles. I’m of mixed minds on whether some of that is necessary, but I guess it mostly is if the author is to show the intrigue and the methods these spies used to gather their intelligence.
Pinkerton, for example, may have contributed to General George McLellan’s downfall by providing inaccurate data on Confederate troop numbers. McLellan put a lot of trust in Pinkerton, and Pinkerton’s data may have made the already overly cautious general even more so.
Baker seems to be the biggest blow-hard and arguably the most corrupt of these spies, but his chapters are interesting reading.
Elizabeth Van Lew’s story is the most interesting. The extremely pro-union spinster used her class and status as an aristocratic southern woman to move messages more easily to Unions forces. She recruited a black female servant to help her run messages. Indeed, she built an entire spy ring of fascinating people.
We often think of Allan Pinkerton as the guy who started Lincoln’s version of a Secret Service. He and his agents likely enough protected Lincoln from being assassinated in Baltimore prior to his assumption of the presidency. We think of Pinkerton the detective these days. But he started his adult life as a barrel maker. And while he protected President Lincoln, he also gave General George McLellan faulty intelligence about the size of the Confederate army.
In addition to Pinkerton, you’ll read about the contribution New York Lawyer George Sharpe made to the Unio effort with his prostitution ring deliberately placed in the nation’s capital. Virginia Heiress Elizabeth Van Lew is another fascinating person featured in this book. She moves messages to General Grant and others that help him in the war effort. Union Office Lafayette Baker is the fourth member of the group, and his life is equally fascinating. Waller’s introductions to these people are brief, but they will help you avoid confusion as you progress through the book.
Unfortunately, you’ll get a prodigious amount of Civil War battle history here, and that could turn into a slog if you’re not all that interested in those battles. I’m of mixed minds on whether some of that is necessary, but I guess it mostly is if the author is to show the intrigue and the methods these spies used to gather their intelligence.
Pinkerton, for example, may have contributed to General George McLellan’s downfall by providing inaccurate data on Confederate troop numbers. McLellan put a lot of trust in Pinkerton, and Pinkerton’s data may have made the already overly cautious general even more so.
Baker seems to be the biggest blow-hard and arguably the most corrupt of these spies, but his chapters are interesting reading.
Elizabeth Van Lew’s story is the most interesting. The extremely pro-union spinster used her class and status as an aristocratic southern woman to move messages more easily to Unions forces. She recruited a black female servant to help her run messages. Indeed, she built an entire spy ring of fascinating people.
October 16, 2024
Lincoln’s Spies by Douglas Waller
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A fascinating behind the scenes look at how intelligence was gathered during the civil war by the Union Army and how it affected the overall outcome of the war. We follow four main storylines following the timeline of major battles and events of the civil war. The first major character is Allan Pinkerton of the renowned detective agency that would grow significantly into a worldwide police agency after the civil war. Pinkerton provided intelligence to General McClellan and his army of the Potomac in the early stages of the war. Pinkerton would be remembered for his overinflated assessments of enemy strength and capabilities while being a total McClellan sycophant and apologist for his slow response and lack of aggression toward the enemy. The second is Lafayette Baker, who would be in charge of a secret police force in DC and would do very little in the way of providing accurate or important intelligence and would become mired in corruption scandals and unlawful arrests of suspected spies and failed to protect president Lincoln before being assassinated at fords theatre. The third is a Richmond, VA woman of wealth named Elizabeth Van Lew, a union sympathizer who would help funnel very important information to union generals (mostly Butler and Grant) about the status of troops and prisoners in Richmond and elsewhere at great risk to herself. She would lose everything to help save the union. And the fourth is Colonel George Sharpe, who would become a very successful spymaster for the Union Army who was able to gather very accurate information on enemy troop movements and capabilities which would help turn the tide of many battles. The stories of these men and women are incredibly important to the overall behind the scenes picture of the Civil War.
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#bookstagram #history #civilwar #civilwarhistory #lincoln #abrahamlincoln #unitedstates #usa #unionarmy #armyofthepotomac #grandarmyoftherepublic #readersofinstagram #bookreview
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A fascinating behind the scenes look at how intelligence was gathered during the civil war by the Union Army and how it affected the overall outcome of the war. We follow four main storylines following the timeline of major battles and events of the civil war. The first major character is Allan Pinkerton of the renowned detective agency that would grow significantly into a worldwide police agency after the civil war. Pinkerton provided intelligence to General McClellan and his army of the Potomac in the early stages of the war. Pinkerton would be remembered for his overinflated assessments of enemy strength and capabilities while being a total McClellan sycophant and apologist for his slow response and lack of aggression toward the enemy. The second is Lafayette Baker, who would be in charge of a secret police force in DC and would do very little in the way of providing accurate or important intelligence and would become mired in corruption scandals and unlawful arrests of suspected spies and failed to protect president Lincoln before being assassinated at fords theatre. The third is a Richmond, VA woman of wealth named Elizabeth Van Lew, a union sympathizer who would help funnel very important information to union generals (mostly Butler and Grant) about the status of troops and prisoners in Richmond and elsewhere at great risk to herself. She would lose everything to help save the union. And the fourth is Colonel George Sharpe, who would become a very successful spymaster for the Union Army who was able to gather very accurate information on enemy troop movements and capabilities which would help turn the tide of many battles. The stories of these men and women are incredibly important to the overall behind the scenes picture of the Civil War.
.
.
#bookstagram #history #civilwar #civilwarhistory #lincoln #abrahamlincoln #unitedstates #usa #unionarmy #armyofthepotomac #grandarmyoftherepublic #readersofinstagram #bookreview
July 16, 2022
Title: Lincoln’s Spies: Their Secret War to Save a Nation
Author: Douglas Waller
Narrated by: Danny Campbell
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Length: Approximately 18 hours and 53 minutes
Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster. Thank-you!
Do you listen to audiobooks when you are on a long drive? If so, what types of audiobooks do you like to listen to?
We had a family discussion and picked Lincoln’s Spies by Douglas Waller for our audiobook to listen to on our family vacation to Gettysburg, Washington DC, and the Williamsburg area. It was the perfect book to listen to as it went well with our stops in Gettysburg, at the Spy Museum, and our Lincoln Assassination Tour.
We thought this nonfiction book was going to be a look at four different spies during the war, Allan Pinkerton, George Sharpe, Elizabeth Van Lew, and Lafayette Baker. While these four spies were certainly prominent, the book instead was more of a deep dive look into how intelligence or the lack thereof was the deciding factor in so many battles during the Civil War. Lincoln was a great interpreter of the information he received from spies to determine what to do next. This book focuses mostly on Union spies and the Eastern front. It was great research and a very interesting different look into the Civil War.
Danny Campbell was a good narrator and this book was interesting to listen to on our journey. The boys were vested in it and wanted to keep listening to it as we traveled.
This review was first posted on my blog at: https://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2022...
Author: Douglas Waller
Narrated by: Danny Campbell
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Length: Approximately 18 hours and 53 minutes
Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster. Thank-you!
Do you listen to audiobooks when you are on a long drive? If so, what types of audiobooks do you like to listen to?
We had a family discussion and picked Lincoln’s Spies by Douglas Waller for our audiobook to listen to on our family vacation to Gettysburg, Washington DC, and the Williamsburg area. It was the perfect book to listen to as it went well with our stops in Gettysburg, at the Spy Museum, and our Lincoln Assassination Tour.
We thought this nonfiction book was going to be a look at four different spies during the war, Allan Pinkerton, George Sharpe, Elizabeth Van Lew, and Lafayette Baker. While these four spies were certainly prominent, the book instead was more of a deep dive look into how intelligence or the lack thereof was the deciding factor in so many battles during the Civil War. Lincoln was a great interpreter of the information he received from spies to determine what to do next. This book focuses mostly on Union spies and the Eastern front. It was great research and a very interesting different look into the Civil War.
Danny Campbell was a good narrator and this book was interesting to listen to on our journey. The boys were vested in it and wanted to keep listening to it as we traveled.
This review was first posted on my blog at: https://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2022...
January 29, 2021
This is an excellent study of the spy/intelligence efforts of the Civil War. It is not a general overview of the war itself, so you'll need to be quite familiar with that history before you read this.
As someone who lives in the Richmond area, I enjoyed reading about the efforts of Van Loew and the head of the RF&P to assist the Union. Making sure the Richmond newspapers printed the 'good news' that tracks had been repaired--thereby tipping off the North that they needed to be hit again--was quite ingenious. The RF&P terminal is now the Science Museum of Virginia and has an SR-71 Blackbird in the main hall now. Quite fitting!
There wasn't much added to the story of Allan Pinkerton and his over-estimation of Southern troop strength. He was, however, good enough at counterintelligence to prevent a lot of spying by the South. Though not good enough to protect Lincoln from Boothe.
In addition to spies, balloons, cavalry, and prisoner interrogation eventually gave the North a better picture of the South's troop movements than the South had of Union forces.
Altogether a very good summary of spying in the Civil War and those who contributed the most to those stories. Well worth the time for any readers of Civil War history.
As someone who lives in the Richmond area, I enjoyed reading about the efforts of Van Loew and the head of the RF&P to assist the Union. Making sure the Richmond newspapers printed the 'good news' that tracks had been repaired--thereby tipping off the North that they needed to be hit again--was quite ingenious. The RF&P terminal is now the Science Museum of Virginia and has an SR-71 Blackbird in the main hall now. Quite fitting!
There wasn't much added to the story of Allan Pinkerton and his over-estimation of Southern troop strength. He was, however, good enough at counterintelligence to prevent a lot of spying by the South. Though not good enough to protect Lincoln from Boothe.
In addition to spies, balloons, cavalry, and prisoner interrogation eventually gave the North a better picture of the South's troop movements than the South had of Union forces.
Altogether a very good summary of spying in the Civil War and those who contributed the most to those stories. Well worth the time for any readers of Civil War history.
September 3, 2019
This book is an odd mixture of historical and biographical information about the subjects, who were all in theory working on behalf of the Union during the American Civil War. Their roles, official or otherwise, were in aid of what might be called espionage or counter-espionage, but the people were an odd mixture of altruists and con artists, detectives and do-gooders, and that made the story even more interesting.
By the end of the book, I did have a question: How the heck did Lafayette Baker keep his job? He was apparently such an unmitigated, crooked jerk and yet he somehow came away not rich, so he wasn't even all that good as being an unmitigated, crooked jerk.
Plenty has been written about him, and about Pinkerton, but the others covered in this story are less well-known, and that made the book even more interesting.
This is not a battlefield book, and if you're looking for spies riding into combat, waving stolen papers to be delivered to generals in order to save the day...no, this isn't that kind of book. On the other hand, though, it's an interesting study of people, places and events that shaped history.
By the end of the book, I did have a question: How the heck did Lafayette Baker keep his job? He was apparently such an unmitigated, crooked jerk and yet he somehow came away not rich, so he wasn't even all that good as being an unmitigated, crooked jerk.
Plenty has been written about him, and about Pinkerton, but the others covered in this story are less well-known, and that made the book even more interesting.
This is not a battlefield book, and if you're looking for spies riding into combat, waving stolen papers to be delivered to generals in order to save the day...no, this isn't that kind of book. On the other hand, though, it's an interesting study of people, places and events that shaped history.
September 4, 2019
Not an exhaustive history of all the spies operating during the American Civil War but a very well written and researched account of four major spies. Allan Pinkerton is known as the first private detective in the US, despite his lucrative private practice, he was not the best Civil War spy, grossly overestimating strength. George Sharpe was much more efficient than Pinkerton and fielded a group of operatives far better than any the Confederates had. Elizabeth Van Lew was a wealthy resident of Richmond who ran a highly successful spy ring in the Confederate capital, amazingly avoiding the hangman's noose, alienating her neighbors becoming a pariah for the rest of her life, arguably the noblest of all the spies showing true, fearless patriotism. Lafayette Baker was a disreputable, ruthless spymaster who searched for enemies of the Union in Washington but missing John Wilkes Booth. These four people were all instrumental in developing many of the techniques still used in present-day spycraft. The author's account is very interesting and was very informative, even debunking some misconceptions I had especially of the role of Allan Pinkerton.
September 4, 2019
Lincoln's Spies is a masterful telling of the under emphasized role of intelligence gathering as a significant contribution to Union efforts. Waller structures what could be an overwhelming amount of research through the efforts of four spies- Allan Pinkerton, Lafayette Baker, George Sharpe, and Elizabeth Van Lew- during the Civil War. Each of the four offer unique motivation, perspectives, and outcomes within the context of the war's progression, adding new insights into well known battles and military/political leadership. Additionally, Waller's attentiveness to the accurate description of key locations and to his treatment of the challenges faced by Van Lew as both a woman and Union spy in the Confederate capital.
Don't let the overall length or reference density scare you away - Lincoln's Spies is well worth reading.
Don't let the overall length or reference density scare you away - Lincoln's Spies is well worth reading.
August 12, 2021
Very interesting book about the role that spies played during the Civil War. I had read a lot of book about Lincoln, but had never really heard much about the role spies played during the war. While both sides used spies, the North seemed to do a little better job of it that did the South. Although, even the North's use of spies sometimes left much to be desired. The book focuses mainly on Allan Pinkerton, Elizabeth Van Lew, George Sharpe, and Lafayette Baker. Most people have heard of Pinkerton, founder of the Pinkerton Detective Agency, but the others are far less known. The book details these people and how they were involved in the various Civil War battles, as well as their involvement with Lincoln and his generals. Interesting read for those who enjoy American History, especially Civil War History.
June 18, 2024
Yet another fascinating aspect of the US Civil War little known to me. I had read elsewhere of Allan Pinkerton's Civil War involvement, which in other accounts I now know were overblown. The histories of George Sharpe, who I might say is one of the leading initiators of modern military intelligence, and Lafayette Baker were quite new to me. But if there is any central protagonist in this narrative, it is Elizabeth Van Lew, an abolitionist in Confederate Richmond, Virginia, feminist and patriot, who risked everything to preserve the Union and lost it all, due to post-war enmity by her neighbors, and sexism and racism within the federal government. Ulysses Grant was her only champion, and that was not for all that long.
October 13, 2019
A very good book which details the efforts of the Union to spy on the Confederates during the Civil War. I especially enjoyed the pages on George Sharpe who ran military intelligence collection for the Army of the Potomac after McClellan was removed as commander. Elizabeth Van Liew who rana spy ring in Richmond and also helped Union prisoners of war escape. Also the stories of Lafayette Baker who was a rogue and used the war to push his own agenda and enrich himself in addition to catching spies.
August 4, 2020
This was a very interesting way to look at Lincoln's spies during the Civil War. I am very well read with reference to the Civil War. I have read about just the Civil War, plus biographies of Lee, Sherman, Grant, Lincoln, and others. So to read a story about the Civil War that does not really concentrate on any one general or battle, but looks at the entire process of the Civil War with reference to how SPIES helped or hindered the war efforts. Extremely fascinating. I liked it. This was a good read and I highly recommend.
June 16, 2023
A comprehensive and interesting exploration of the role of spies during the Civil War and the influence they had on espionage techniques in the modern day. Lives up to the title, even to the detriment of the book at times, because of the focus on spies as opposed to the war in general, some key moments of the war feel anti-climatic, especially Gettysburg. Though if you are interested in espionage specifically this is the book for you. Though definitely not written in a narrative style, the book establishes characters and stakes well enough to create some moments of genuine suspense and tension. Overall a fun read and very interesting.
July 27, 2024
Well researched book. Starts slowly with too much background on Allan Pinkerton and his relationship with George McClellan - slow because Pinkerton really does not do a very good job. The book picks up pace when the narrative shifts to other key individuals and different Union generals, including Meade and Grant. The book does a good job of showing how porous the boundaries of the Union and the Confederacy were and the strong undercurrents of Union support in the South and Rebel support in the North.
December 16, 2019
Good read, lots of interesting information. I was aware of Elizabeth Van Lew but I was not aware of how miserable her declining years were. She deserves a lot more recognition and deserved a great deal more compensation both for her spy work and for the loss of the postmaster job she was given.
I also think the guard who failed to watch over Lincoln at the theater should have been court martialed at the very least and maybe even shot as a disgrace to his nation.
I also think the guard who failed to watch over Lincoln at the theater should have been court martialed at the very least and maybe even shot as a disgrace to his nation.
January 20, 2020
Upon opening shots, armies North and South struggled to obtain information on the other. Doug Waller presents an astonishing account of intelligence gathering in the eastern theater of action. The fledgling operations started from scratch and developed through trial and error employing agents spanning the spectrum of competency. Information rich, well-documented, insightful, and imminently readable, the stories of spying successes and failures captivate.
May 13, 2021
Slow and drawn out
Interesting how spies were used but could have been told more succinctly
Characters (people as it’s history) are continually introduced with little background and it gets confusing
Bottom line is north won the war as a result of these spies and Gettysburg became the turning point due to the information provided giving the north a significant advantage (even though it was a brutal and bloody battle)
Interesting how spies were used but could have been told more succinctly
Characters (people as it’s history) are continually introduced with little background and it gets confusing
Bottom line is north won the war as a result of these spies and Gettysburg became the turning point due to the information provided giving the north a significant advantage (even though it was a brutal and bloody battle)
December 15, 2021
Excellently researched. It’s a mistake to assume intelligence agents are good at their job; but certainly there were heroes among those who worked to end slavery, preserve the union, and undermine and end the rebellion. Mr. Waller does a good a d fair job of helping the reader understand the difficulty and challenges of spying in the 1860s. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a well researched historical account of the civil war era.
August 20, 2025
I love American history with a deep emphasis on our military history. But this book did not grip me. I felt no desire to carry on. I threw in the towel after the first few chapters. I'm sure that this was an exciting era. President Lincoln had a lot on his plate in his personal life and his political life. He's always been one of the more intriguing presidents which is why I picked up this book. I just wish it was written in more interesting style.
November 5, 2019
As a fan of history, especially from the Revolution to the Civil War, I found this a great read. We hear about some of these "spies" in shows like Ken Burns' The Civil War, but we don't always get the small details that Mr. Waller brings out. His research is well done, and the book is well written...informative without being dry. History buffs will join me in liking this work.
September 21, 2021
The writing was a little bland, but good information. Honestly, it just needed an editor. This is about 200 pages too long with useless details and sub-plots that distract from the focus on espionage activities in support of the war. The author clearly did a TON of research and he wants you to see ALL of it.
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