Southern Lady, Yankee Spy: The True Story of Elizabeth Van Lew, a Union Agent in the Heart of the Confederacy

by Elizabeth R. Varon

Northern sympathizer in the Confederate capital, daring spymaster, postwar Elizabeth Van Lew was one of the most remarkable figures in American history, a woman who defied the conventions of the nineteenth-century South. In Southern Lady, Yankee Spy, historian Elizabeth Varon provides a gripping, richly researched account of the woman who led what one historian called "the most productive espionage operation of the Civil War." Under the nose of the Confederate government, Van Lew ran a spy ring that gathered intelligence, hampered the Southern war effort, and helped scores of Union soldiers to escape from Richmond prisons. Varon describes a woman who was very much a product of her time and place, yet continually took controversial stands--from her early efforts to free her family's slaves, to her daring wartime activities and beyond. Varon's powerful biography brings Van Lew to life, showing how she used the stereotypes of the day to confound Confederate authorities (who suspected her, but could not believe a proper Southern lady could be a spy), even as she brought together Union sympathizers at all levels of society, from slaves to slaveholders. After the war, a grateful President Ulysses S. Grant named her postmaster of Richmond--a remarkable break with custom for this politically influential post. But her Unionism, Republican politics, and outspoken support of racial justice earned her a lifetime of scorn in the former Confederate capital. Even today, Elizabeth Van Lew remains a controversial figure in her beloved Richmond, remembered as the "Crazy Bet" of Lost Cause propaganda. Elizabeth Varon's account rescues her from both derision and oblivion, depicting an intelligent, resourceful, highly principled woman who remained, as she saw it, true to her country to the end.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Civil War, Biography, Espionage, American History, Historical

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Elizabeth Varon (PhD, Yale University) is a professor of history at Temple University. Her research and teaching interests include the Civil War and Reconstruction, History of Women and Gender, Southern History.

FROM WEBSITE:
"Personal Statement I have sought in my work to integrate social history and women’s history with political and military history. My first book was on white women’s participation and complicity in Southern politics during the antebellum era. My recent book is a bio of Elizabeth Van Lew, a Civil War spy for the Union and pioneering advocate of women’s rights and of civil rights for African Americans. My current project is a study of the origins of the Civil War (part of a multi-author thirteen part series on the war), and seeks to integrate the rich new social history of sectionalism (particularly works on African American and women’s history) with the more traditional political narrative."

Reviews

[Porter Broyles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth Varon is one of my favorite authors, but I was a little tentative about reading this book as it seemed to be very niche.

I found the book to be written in three parts.

The first part of the book was largely background setting up the culture around Richmond particularly the role of Southern Women. This section was very interesting as it presented a Southern Women in a very different role than tradition. Varon argued that Southern Women were active within the political sphere every bit as much as Northern women, only ther manifestation of activism was different.

The second part was primarily about the activities that occurred during the war and the spy ring that was created in the Richmond area. While Lew played a significant role in many of the activities, this section of the book felt a little forced. In other words, Varon might spend a fair number of pages talking about an incident and then at the end of the section add a short section tying Lew to the event.

The final part dealt with the period after the Civil War. What did Lew do after the war. How was she treated? How was she regarded in the north and south? This section is what really made me feel as if Lew was as important as Varon was attempting to portray in the middle section.

Overall, the book started and ended strong with a weak middle. But still worth a weak 4 star review.

[Phil Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally! A book that does Ms. Van Lew justice. The only other stand alone book about her was called something like "Crazy Bet's Diary" and while it did just reprint her diary, and it provided some insight to who she was, it also added bits that made her appear just as a loon a lot of the time. This biography, however, is well thought out and written. One of the most famous people of the Civil War (or should be) is done justice in this thorough account of her life.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was VERY well researched and written with extreme detail. That is what made it difficult for me to get through. There is no doubt Ms. Varon took great care in bringing this book to life. The first half was more about the war than Elizabeth Van Lew. The second half was more interesting to this reader.

[Adam‘’s book reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Southern Lady, Yankee Spy" unveils the remarkable true story of Elizabeth Van Lew, a Union agent in the heart of the Confederacy. Varon skillfully navigates history, revealing the courageous and complex life of Van Lew during the Civil War. This captivating narrative explores espionage, loyalty, and the indomitable spirit of a woman who defied societal norms for a higher cause. Varon's meticulous research and engaging storytelling make this a compelling read for history enthusiasts and those intrigued by unsung heroes. A riveting account that sheds light on a hidden chapter of American history.

[Christina DeVane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this a 4.5 rating.
This book had so many fascinating nuggets about the life of Elizabeth Van Lew -spy for the Union during the Civil War
The author does an excellent job of creating a true account of her life -35 pages of endnotes!
I’ve become fascinated with Van Lew’s life and wish an accurate movie of her life could be made! It would be so amazing.
Some parts of the book get bogged down in historical facts, other parts read as a thriller.
I found the end of her life to be incredibly sad as she was ostracized, penniless, and almost friendless. And to think her house was said to be haunted on several occasions after her death made for a great ending! 😜

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent addition to Civil War reading, Elizabeth Varon has not only documented the life of Elizabeth Van Lew, she has given us deep insight into the cultural drivers of the civil war, Richmond's experience of the war, the repression of Unionism in the South, the challenges of reconstruction, and the root of the willful embrace of the "glory of Confederacy."

Van Lew's heartwrenching moral dilemma - loving her country (which she always believed to be the Union of States), her state of Virginia (which she saw as central in the founding of the country), her city (where she was born and lived her entire life), and (most precious of all) her past and present family - is illustrated from her childhood through her death and beyond into her legacy. Van Lew was convinced she had to do everything in her power to contribute to the Union war effort, establish the equality of all people (black & white), and pray for the war's end. This commitment endangered all her family held dear: the family itself, reputation, fortune, and fellowship with others. Van Lew's willingness to sacrifice for her convictions and her optimism that she would see and experience the change she worked for are inspiring, even though Van Lew is denied the full realization of her dreams in the post-war period.

I was particularly struck by Van Lew's wise assessment that not only the oppressed, but the oppressors as well, were corrupted by slavery.

"Succession represented for Van Lew... both a catastrophe and an epiphany.

Van Lew's critique of slavery, forged in the firestorm of secession, was a cost accounting of the price white Southerners paid to maintain the system of human bondage. Slavery, she attested, had made Southern whites anti-democratic, coercive, intellectually backward, and dangerously self-righteous... Van Lew wrote, "Slave power is arrogant-- is jealous, and intrusive-- is cruel -- is despotic." Until the secession crisis, she had taken refuge, as so many "gradualists" did, in the notion that time was on the side of slavery's opponents -- that "slave power was losing strength before the increasing influence of honest and enlightened free labor."

But secession illustrated just how far slavery's partisans were willing to go to maintain their power [willing to fight a war, demanding independence from the Union, intimidating any who dared speak moderately against the absolute assertion that slavery, under the guise of rights of state, must be maintained:]. Watching helplessly as moderate Virginia politicians... were ushered off the political stage [by being minimized or imprisoned:], Van concluded that "slave power crushes freedom of speech and opinion." She was appalled to see how quickly the press and the pulpit were co-opted by the disunionists... The "Origin of Secession," Van Lew was convinced, lay in the "false teaching-- false preaching-- corrupt press" of the "slave power"."

Van Lew is still a controversial figure today, particularly in her beloved Richmond, both honored by Unionists and scorned by those who have bound their hearts to the Confederacy today. In order to determine whether you believe Elizabeth Van Lew was a traitor or a hero, you will have to read this book for yourself! Highly recommended.

For a historical fiction treatment of similiar themes, see
Candle in the Darkness, Austin, 2002
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

With Lee in Virginia, Henty, 1890
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Beth Cato · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend recommended this book to me a while back, and I'm so glad he did. It's an in-depth look at the life of Union spy Elizabeth Van Lew, but more than that, it provides insight to Richmond during the Civil War and what happened there during Reconstruction. Elizabeth not only funneled military data to the north, but she also worked hard for equality for blacks and women. For all three of these reasons, she was treated as a pariah in her beloved Richmond. Her enemies hounded her. The press despised her. People walked around her on the street. She became paranoid and friendless-a neighborhood witch. Varon observes that after Elizabeth's death, people remembered her that way and then declared she had always behaved in such a way--effectively rewriting her role in history as a madwoman.

Varon provides extensive foot notes and relies greatly on material of the period, especially Elizabeth's own journals and period newspapers. I haven't read a great deal about Reconstruction, and certainly not how it was in the Confederate capital of Richmond. The subject matter was fascinating and yet frustrating because of the cruelty of people and how Elizabeth's work was denigrated for so long. This is definitely a book I will keep on my shelf for future reference, and one I highly recommend for anyone interested in a different perspective on the Civil War and its aftermath.

[Wilmina Rundle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really want to like this book, it sounds so interesting. Her story is, or should be, fascinating! But it is written more like a research paper than a story and I'm finding it very dry. At page 100 I'm giving up.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book about an unsung American hero!

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is a little hard to follow and often repeats itself, though the story is interesting. Would recommend for history fans.

[Barbara traveler from NC · Rating 2 out of 5]

This may be an excellent book. Just too slow for me to get into.

[Georgia]

school read

[Liberté · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this history of Elizabeth Van Lew, who really should be as familiar to Americans as Patrick Henry or Paul Revere. I first came across Van Lew's story when reading 'Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy' by Karen Abbott, which covers four women who participated in the Civil War. That book was more of pop history whereas Varon's book is scholarly, and incredibly carefully and well-researched. She also clearly holds Van Lew in great respect, which I appreciate of historians when trying to not only document women's contributions but restore them, as in the case of Van Lew.

Van Lew was a Richmond, Va. native and staunch Unionist who was in her 40s during the Civil War. Before the war, she and her Northern mother, Eliza, worked to support the Black slaves in their household, including sending Mary Jane Richards to be educated in Philadelphia. After the dead of the Van Lew patriarch, who had circumscribed their ability to actually free any Van Lew slaves, they worked to undermine and work around that restriction as much as they could. Elizabeth Van Lew certainly went on a moral journey, beginning from condemning slavery but not seeing Black people as the equal of whites, to ending by condemning her white Southern peers and hiring Black people as officers in the post office during her two appointments as postmaster of Richmond (the first woman appointed there, thanks to President Grant). Her work as spymistress of the Union underground network takes center stage, between ferrying messages across Union lines to both Benjamin Butler and U.S. Grant, helping Union prisoners and Southern political prisoners jailed in Richmond prisons, and helping escaped prisoners by first hiding them in a secret room in her mansion and then getting them across Union lines. I do think there's something accurate in appointing a former spymistress as head of the postal system - she got the job done. It is also noteworthy that although Van Lew and her mother were questioned late in the war by Confederate officials, they were never caught or arrested - unlike the Confederate spy Belle Boyd.

As this is the second account of Van Lew that I have read, I really do think she should be held in high honor and that Richmond should celebrate her - and not consign her to the role of a crazy woman. It is extremely aggravating to think that her legacy in Richmond - where it is is known - has been reduced to 'Crazy Bet', an epithet that ignores the clarity of mind, organization, and dedication it took to do what she did, both during the Civil War and then as the first woman postmaster in Richmond. 'Crazy' is also the classic aspersion cast on women who do differently, which makes it doubly frustrating. Even more frustrating is that her friend, Eliza Carrington, tried to publish a biography of her as the strong woman she was but was refused by a publisher, while a man's review of her papers became the narrative.

In addition to Van Lew's history, both before the Civil War and after as both postmaster and ally of the suffragettes, Varon discusses the history of the Union underground in Richmond and the political divisions within the Republicans before and after the Civil War. She also addresses the stories of Mary Jane Richards and Mary Bowser, both Black women associated with Van Lew as former slaves. Richards certainly went to Philadelphia to be educated, then Liberia, and then came back to Richmond; Bowser's history is less clear. The story goes that Van Lew placed Bowser as a spy in the Davis White House to smuggle messages out since nobody knew she could read. Richards herself went by aliases when she returned to Richmond, due to the laws restricting the residence of freed Black people. Varina Davis (the Confederate First Lady) explicitly denied that she ever hired a servant from Van Lew, and of course these two women (if they are two) have different last names. I will say that Richards had already demonstrated an enterprising, courageous spirit; an ability to go unnoticed through aliases; and Van Lew both could have gotten a spy into the White House that a) Varina Davis would never admit to an b) the documentation of which was lost in the missing second volume of Van Lew's papers. What is certain is that there were Black members of the Union underground and they were as active as their white peers. Since Richards disappeared West about 10 years after the Civil War after she married, the whole story is shrouded in lost history. Perhaps Bowser existed as Karen Abbott presented her in her history, which came out more recently than Varon's; perhaps it is a mix-up of names. Either way, someone like her existed.

In all, this was a fascinating history and I feel I have absorbed more about the Civil War than I ever did before.

[Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned of Elizabeth Van Lew several years ago while working on a history of my family during the American Civil War. I discovered a newspaper article that published excerpts from my ancestor's diary, including the period while he was a prisoner of war in Richmond. When I told my aunt, a public historian, that some Richmond ladies had brought our ancestor and his comrades comfort food while they were imprisoned, she said, "That would have been Elizabeth Van Lew!" I immediately set out to learn more about this remarkable woman, a "loyalist" to the Union cause living in the capital of the Confederacy. I read a book that published her diary and memoirs of that era, and thought I knew all there was to know.

Then just last month, I discovered that Elizabeth Varon had written a full-length biography of Van Lew. I immediately sought out a copy and it jumped to the top of my to-read pile. Compared with what I thought I knew before, Varon's portrait of Van Lew is much deeper and more three-dimensional. She has examined all the myths that accrued around Van Lew—such as that she feigned insanity to avoid detection as a Union agent. In fact, Varon convincingly argues, she was able to use her position as a highborn Southern lady to take advantage of Confederate officials' prejudices. (Along the lines of: "Ah, of course a noble lady is moved to help the suffering of these Union prisoners, as she would by any indigent beggar.") The "Crazy Bet" myth arose after Van Lew's death among her Northern admirers. Those who knew her in Richmond wrote instead about her intelligence and canniness. And when she began leading a spy network within Richmond to aid Union military intelligence in 1864, leading generals from Benjamin Butler to Ulysses S. Grant sang her praises. Grant even appointed her postmaster of Richmond during his presidency—a high-paying and prominent position that she handled with aplomb.

Sadly, in her pursuit of truth Varon debunks some of the more romantic elements of the story of Elizabeth Van Lew. Besides the "Crazy Bet" myth, she casts doubt on whether Van Lew's former slave, Mary Bowser, posed as a servant for Jefferson Davis himself while really gathering military intelligence. But, pace "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," I'd much rather know the fact than believe in the legend.

This was an outstanding biography. It makes me want to go back to Richmond to pay tribute at the grave of Elizabeth Van Lew, offering thanks for what she did for my ancestor long ago.

[Cathie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book club selection. It's written by a history professor but it's very readable. I did not know anything about Elizabeth Van Lew and found her story very interesting, but also sad. She came from a prominent social family in Richmond but didn't believe in secession or the Confederacy, so worked to help the Union soldiers in the prison there and to get information to several Union generals, especially Ulysses Grant. Her information helped shorten the war. After the war Grant appointed her to the position of Postmaster, which had a good salary and was also a source of patronage. The men in the area resented the position going to a woman, especially one with Yankee sympathies. But her worst crime in their eyes was that she truly believed in Black suffrage and equality, and gave many jobs in the post office to Blacks. They all agreed she ran it very efficiently and successfully. By the time Grant left office Northerners as well as Southerners were tired of Reconstruction; it was easy to let Van Lew go. She spent most of her family's fortune helping Union prisoners and getting intel to the North so it was a blow when she lost her job. She was shunned in Richmond but could not sell the family home or mortgage it at a reasonable price, and died in 1901 a virtual recluse.

[Shaun Nicholls · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly the author did the homework! Unfortunately the author includes A LOT of that homework. Made some parts tedious reading. However what you end up reading is the true account of Van Lew and not the fictional easier to read more ‘fun’ storyline of her being, or pretending to be crazy. It’s sad to read the end of the book and the tide of the South moving against reconstruction in what feels like JUST AS the invasion of Richmond makes you feel this final culmination of victory and hope. And we certainly still grapple with the inequality and the let down that the Union Army finally marching into Richmond ultimately hasn’t finished the job. Recently I seen a post saying all the Union blood let paid for slavery and we owe nothing more. The insinuation that saying this blood would be disgraced a slap in the face if we thought we still owed anything more to African Americans. I can only put palm to forehead. Where do you even begin with that???
I guess we’d rather believe false narratives than do the work of investigating the truth especially when the truth reveals something we’d rather not see in ourselves.

[bup · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Lincoln’s Lady Spymaster: The Untold Story of the Abolitionist Southern Belle Who Helped Win the Civil War, and seeing that that book used other books as its primary sources, rather than interviews, letters, newspaper articles, legal documents and so forth, I decided to track down one of the sources.

This gave me more what I want - a more traditional, granular history, with the honesty to challenge the subject and the reader.

Although this came out in 2003 and is (I think) out of print, seek out a copy if you can, if you're at all interested in the story of the Richmond woman in the Civil War that ran most of the intelligence operations for the union. And, then, afterward, naturally, got turned into a pariah because the confederacy won the after-war in the south.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-documented, scholarly biography of Elizabeth Van Lew, the veritable spymaster at the center of the Unionist resistance movement in Richmond, VA during the Civil War. But with stories about secret codes and invisible ink, the nighttime exhumation of the body of a fallen Union officer, a daring underground prison escape and all manner of subterfuge and daring, much of the book reads like an espionage novel.

How did Van Lew get away with so much right before the eyes of the opposition? Varon cites the prevailing deferential view of the "southern lady" as incapable of such actions as one factor. And she uses primary source documents to argue that Van Lew was undaunted and determined, yet extremely cautious and shrewd in carrying out her operation, debunking the post Reconstruction mythology in which she came to be known as "Crazy Bet."

Solid history and a most enjoyable read.

[Hedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a story that needed to be told. Ms. Van Lew seems to have been an amazing women. An accomplished spy for the north in the face of her own southern brethren, as well as a female during the time that females were indeed second class citizens not allowed to vote. Clearly I have a bias such that I believe that the civil war was about slavery and not about states rights, so I enjoyed knowing that Ms. Van Lew did her part from the very place where I live to support the cause. This was a well researched and written account of Ms. Van Lew and her successes and the obstacles she faced in her lifetime.

[Jackie Caruso · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting story of Elizabeth Van Lew, a resident of Richmond, Virginia and Union loyalist during the Civil War. The author has done extensive research and presented a solid biography of this unusual woman. Van Lew was for Union, Abolition, Women's Suffrage, and Black Civil Rights years before any of these issues were popular or even accepted in the South. Aided by the Lost Cause mythology, the story of Elizabeth Van Lew has been suppressed or twisted by history. This version is a thoughtful insight into the idealism of a Southern Lady who happened to become a Yankee Spy.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Jennifer Chiaverini's book "The Spymistress", a historical novel about Elizabeth Van Lew I wanted to read a factual account of this fascinating woman's life. This is a researched account of not only Elizabeth Van Lew, but also (though to a lesser extent) of those around her and the atmosphere in the Confederate capital preceding and during the Civil War. There is plenty of detail so it is not a fast read, but it certainly provides excellent information about the bravery and commitment of Elizabeth Van Lew and her circle of friends.

[Trina · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a long time to finish this book but it was excellent! My 3 rating is because of the amount of detail in the book. On the other hand the amount of research that this author completed was amazing! I connected with Van Lew’s life story since I live in the Richmond area and the historical connections drew me in! Van Lew’s strength during a time when women were not supposed to be heard should be shared and celebrated!

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very readable, almost novelistic story of Elizabeth Van Lew. It puts to rest several myths about her, like that she was mad or deliberately put on an eccentric front to elude capture and carry out her spying. There are some great insights into what life was like for an independent woman in Richmond in the 19th century, how people saw and treated death and burial, and the treacherous waters of Reconstruction politics in the upper South. Well worth reading

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this a 3.75 because it has so much information. I found it a bit tedious to read but at the same time it was interesting. I think the names and dates bogged me down. Elizabeth Van Lew was an incredible person, a suffragette, and a believer in freedom for all slaves. She lived in Richmond, Virginia, where she managed to find out information about the Confederate forces and convey that information to the Union troops. She was quite remarkable.

[Jerry Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story about women spy in Richmond during Civil War. Interesting book about the few Union supporters in Richmond. She did much to help Union prisoners during the war. I had a difficult time finishing the book after her term of Postmaster was over. It was the start of the Jim Crow south which would last for almost 100 years.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love history - real history - women of history and this book tells about a woman I had never heard of and her story I had never known of. I recommend this to anyone who is a feminist, believes in civil rights and continues to fight for both. Also, as I read more truth about the Civil War and the aftermath, it becomes clearer, albeit sadder, why we are still fighting the fight!

[carol j rosenkranz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever and principled woman

Very interesting and dedicated woman and family living in the confederacy, but having such strong unionist beliefs! And how she so carefully set up her spy system. Lots of info about reconstruction time period that I was unaware of!

[Jwt Jan50 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Done a fair amount of reading on the Civil War and some on our intelligence gathering. This is so well done - the postal service, Richmond, the prisoners of war - and a woman ahead of her time. There's more, but no spoilers here.

[Betsy Sander · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a LOT about the “Unionists” living in Richmond during the Civil War. Eliz. Van Lew was a shrewd, heroic defender of the Union & Blacks’ abilities; she cleverly undermined the Confederates’ efforts to defeat the Union cause.

[Joyce Walton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was long and parts were boring. It was very sad to learn the Elizabeth was alone in her later years. She had guts and courage to stand up for what she believed in being a spy during the Civil War. She paid a hefty price by being shunned in her later years and dying all alone.