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Stealing Secrets: How a Few Daring Women Deceived Generals, Impacted Battles, and Altered the Course of the Civil War
The clever, devious, daring women who helped turn the tides of the Civil War During America's most divisive war, both the Union and Confederacy took advantage of brave and courageous women willing to adventurously support their causes. These female spies of the Civil War participated in the world's second-oldest profession―spying―a profession perilous in the extreme. The tales of female spies are filled with suspense, bravery, treachery, and trickery. They took enormous risks and achieved remarkable results―often in ways men could not do. These are the bold, untold stories of women shaping our very nation. Stepping out of line and into battle, these women faced clandestine missions, treason, and death, all because of their passionate commitment to their cause. These are the unknown Civil War stories you need to hear. As stated on the grave marker of Union spy Elizabeth Van "She risked everything that is dear to man―friends, fortune, comfort, health, life itself."
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
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November 28, 2025
STEALING SECRETS is an amazing tale of the role women spies played during the American Civil War. Now I have been fascinated with stories of those great battles since that Christmas some 60+ years ago when my brother and I got our blue and grey uniforms and toy muskets. However, in all the books that I have read, about this or that general moving his troops here and there, the real reasons were evidently never mentioned as to why. It wasn't just because the generals stood there studying their maps and making their plans based on cavalry scouts. No, it was so very often because of secret dispatches, or personal observations, made by women loyal to their cause.
How did these women come into such secrets? They did it with the batting of an eyelash, favoring with a smile, and even by considering proposals of marriage. This was not 'pillow talk' but rather officers infatuated with pretty women. Depending on the flow of battle, Union officers might be sharing breakfast with a family while Confederates might be there for dinner. Most of the time the women simply listened, and acted like they were not really that interested in all that military talk, which was the realm of men. Sometimes the men told them things either to impress them or just because the women were good listeners. I might add, however, that the descriptions of the most successful of these women contained phrases about their natural beauty. And for a soldier far from home, well, we think about women!
But to truly understand why and how these women succeeded, and even survived, one must realize that this was still somewhat an age of chivalry. While a male spy that was caught knew he was going to be swinging at the end of a rope, captured women spies were spared. Some were paroled back home, or shipped off to family out of the war zone. Only one was mentioned as being sentenced to life in prison. Even while waiting trial most women were given liberties far from the suffering and deprivations of the POWs in the camps, where many died from neglect.
The majority of these women spies were very young, still in their teens. Many couldn't even read or write, but could ride and shoot with the best of them.
Besides carrying secret dispatches, many of these women traveling from north to south carried sometimes as much as thirty pounds of medical supplies under their hoop skirts and messages in their hair and bonnets. A gentleman wouldn't think of frisking a lady. And even if confronted, she could often talk her way out of a situation.
Not all women were Farrah Fawcetts. A couple could pass themselves off as male soldiers and even fought in battle before becoming spies. These were not transgenders but rather simply women who wanted to serve the cause.
One thing I didn't know about were the Confederate sympathizers in Canada who raided the northern states as partisans looting and burning.
The attitudes of whites, of both the north and south, shared similar views of Negroes at the time. They weren't called blacks, or African Americans then. In the south a slave could listen in while serving Confederate officers because they felt they weren't smart enough to understand what was being discussed. Even when spies were caught their slaves were not arrested for the same reason. In the north Abraham Lincoln refused to let blacks serve in the Union Army until mass casualties made it so necessary that he had to institute the draft which led to riots. Speaking of Harriet Tubman, perhaps the Union's greatest and most successful spy, the Wisconsin State Journal stated, "True, she is but a woman, and a nigger at that, but in patriotism, sagacity, energy, ability, and all that elevates human character, she is head and shoulders above all the copperheads in the land, and above many who vaunt their patriotism and boast their philanthrophy." What a way to pay a compliment! What is also surprising is that some, but not all, slaves were loyal to their owners during the war.
Harriet Tubman deserves her own paragraph. Born into slavery in Maryland, she suffered horrible abuse. She later escaped via the underground railroad. Being recruited in 1861 at the start of the war, she served not only as a spy but also helped former slaves flocking to the camps of the Federal troops. She served the Union well, often gaining intelligence from slaves still in the south. Her most famous exploit was when she planned, conducted, and led a devastating raid, without a single loss, behind Confederate lines that also freed hundreds of slaves. After the war she continued to serve her fellow man. Considering how quick Congress is to give themselves raises, they FINALLY agreed to pay her a pension of twenty dollars a month in 1890, some twenty-five years after the war. Passing away at ninety-two, she was buried with military honors in Auburn, New York.
I must add a comment about the underground railroad. During the war it not only gave passage to slaves fleeing the south but also escaped white soldiers of the Union Army!
My take on all of this is that in both love and war, a pretty woman can get you into a lot of trouble!
How did these women come into such secrets? They did it with the batting of an eyelash, favoring with a smile, and even by considering proposals of marriage. This was not 'pillow talk' but rather officers infatuated with pretty women. Depending on the flow of battle, Union officers might be sharing breakfast with a family while Confederates might be there for dinner. Most of the time the women simply listened, and acted like they were not really that interested in all that military talk, which was the realm of men. Sometimes the men told them things either to impress them or just because the women were good listeners. I might add, however, that the descriptions of the most successful of these women contained phrases about their natural beauty. And for a soldier far from home, well, we think about women!
But to truly understand why and how these women succeeded, and even survived, one must realize that this was still somewhat an age of chivalry. While a male spy that was caught knew he was going to be swinging at the end of a rope, captured women spies were spared. Some were paroled back home, or shipped off to family out of the war zone. Only one was mentioned as being sentenced to life in prison. Even while waiting trial most women were given liberties far from the suffering and deprivations of the POWs in the camps, where many died from neglect.
The majority of these women spies were very young, still in their teens. Many couldn't even read or write, but could ride and shoot with the best of them.
Besides carrying secret dispatches, many of these women traveling from north to south carried sometimes as much as thirty pounds of medical supplies under their hoop skirts and messages in their hair and bonnets. A gentleman wouldn't think of frisking a lady. And even if confronted, she could often talk her way out of a situation.
Not all women were Farrah Fawcetts. A couple could pass themselves off as male soldiers and even fought in battle before becoming spies. These were not transgenders but rather simply women who wanted to serve the cause.
One thing I didn't know about were the Confederate sympathizers in Canada who raided the northern states as partisans looting and burning.
The attitudes of whites, of both the north and south, shared similar views of Negroes at the time. They weren't called blacks, or African Americans then. In the south a slave could listen in while serving Confederate officers because they felt they weren't smart enough to understand what was being discussed. Even when spies were caught their slaves were not arrested for the same reason. In the north Abraham Lincoln refused to let blacks serve in the Union Army until mass casualties made it so necessary that he had to institute the draft which led to riots. Speaking of Harriet Tubman, perhaps the Union's greatest and most successful spy, the Wisconsin State Journal stated, "True, she is but a woman, and a nigger at that, but in patriotism, sagacity, energy, ability, and all that elevates human character, she is head and shoulders above all the copperheads in the land, and above many who vaunt their patriotism and boast their philanthrophy." What a way to pay a compliment! What is also surprising is that some, but not all, slaves were loyal to their owners during the war.
Harriet Tubman deserves her own paragraph. Born into slavery in Maryland, she suffered horrible abuse. She later escaped via the underground railroad. Being recruited in 1861 at the start of the war, she served not only as a spy but also helped former slaves flocking to the camps of the Federal troops. She served the Union well, often gaining intelligence from slaves still in the south. Her most famous exploit was when she planned, conducted, and led a devastating raid, without a single loss, behind Confederate lines that also freed hundreds of slaves. After the war she continued to serve her fellow man. Considering how quick Congress is to give themselves raises, they FINALLY agreed to pay her a pension of twenty dollars a month in 1890, some twenty-five years after the war. Passing away at ninety-two, she was buried with military honors in Auburn, New York.
I must add a comment about the underground railroad. During the war it not only gave passage to slaves fleeing the south but also escaped white soldiers of the Union Army!
My take on all of this is that in both love and war, a pretty woman can get you into a lot of trouble!
September 4, 2017
A fantastic book about the women spies in the Civil War, both Union and Confederate. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys reading about that part of history. Proof that women must not be underestimated!
November 14, 2017
A decent collection of stories about female spies during the Civil War, which is a topic that hasn't been written about that much. A few problems with it, though. First, the scholarship is a bit sketchy, without direct citations in each chapter. Second, huge sections of the text are taken, in their entirety, from other books. In the end, maybe only 3/4 of this book is Winkler's actual writing. The third issue is that the stories get very repetitive. Young girl in small town hates the opposing side and does things, at great personal risk, to help out her side. I would have preferred more depth on fewer people. The final issue is the sexist nature of some of his statements, constantly referring to the women's attractiveness and feminine wiles.
Generally speaking, this book is fine, but somewhat sloppily done.
Generally speaking, this book is fine, but somewhat sloppily done.
December 3, 2025
Certainly, the author by his credits is highly acclaimed. This is the first time I have read any of his writings. Very interesting and fascinating to read about these women and their exploits during the Civil War as spies. I was particularly interested in the last chapter devoted to Mary Surratt and her execution by the Federal government in 1865 for her role in Lincoln's assassination. Our pastor's last name is Surratt and this distant relative has been mentioned a few times from the pulpit. The author apparently feels like she was wrongly accused. I am not sure about all that since her son, John, was a close associate of Booth who had stayed at Mary's boardinghouse in Washington and frequented her tavern at Surrattsville (which by the way, the town's name has been changed to Clinton, Maryland). Did she know Booth was going to execute the crime of the century? We will never know for sure, but our author wrote in great detail why he thought she should not have been penalized to become the first woman in American history to be executed by our government. The first 18 chapters are filled with various episodes of other women, some of which come from the memoirs themselves written after the war. It is hard to know for sure what is fact versus fiction in these stories, but they are names woven into our Civil War history that both sides benefited from and at times were fooled into giving away their secrets during the war to these ladies. To me Harriet Tubman is the most fascinating one and worth finding out more about her work as the conductor of the Underground Railroad. Possibly she also dove into espionage work and was apparently very effective for the Union cause.
March 6, 2012
I love books which introduce me to historical figures I’d never heard of before and this collection of biographies on female spies of the American Civil War did just that. It’s incredible that such remarkable women (in both positive and negative ways) have gone unknown to me for so long. I was amazed by the mistakes some of them made which lead to disastrous results and also by some of the things they successfully got away with.
I wasn’t sure how interested I would be in the subject matter because I don’t normally read about American history but it was free on Kindle so I thought “why not?” and I am glad I did. It’s well researched and written without being hard to read. Definitely a “don’t miss” for anyone interested in women’s history, American history, or even just history in general!
My only complaint is that there were so many women covered, the details on some were very short and I couldn’t remember all their names. I think I would have rather seen a more select group of figures covered more extensively.
I wasn’t sure how interested I would be in the subject matter because I don’t normally read about American history but it was free on Kindle so I thought “why not?” and I am glad I did. It’s well researched and written without being hard to read. Definitely a “don’t miss” for anyone interested in women’s history, American history, or even just history in general!
My only complaint is that there were so many women covered, the details on some were very short and I couldn’t remember all their names. I think I would have rather seen a more select group of figures covered more extensively.
March 30, 2019
I like the fact that I learned of the contributions of so many I've never knew or heard of. The author could have expanded on some of the chatacters he chose to write of, and left some his personal perspective out particularly with the last woman's experience he portrayed.
June 15, 2024
Tough Women
I’ve always loved historical fiction and this factual book reads like a story. Lovevteadi Ng about these women who gave all for their cause. Especially loved the last chapter on Mary Surrat!
I’ve always loved historical fiction and this factual book reads like a story. Lovevteadi Ng about these women who gave all for their cause. Especially loved the last chapter on Mary Surrat!
February 21, 2020
A collection of stories of some the women who were spies during the Civil War for both Union and Confederate sides.
Some reviewers commented on how dry of reading this was of anecdote after anecdote of the same thing. Girl gets mad at one side, spies for the other. What is interesting is the lengths each went to, the espionage, the fear, and the use of womanly wiles, personality and conversation against chivalry.
Some reviewers commented on how dry of reading this was of anecdote after anecdote of the same thing. Girl gets mad at one side, spies for the other. What is interesting is the lengths each went to, the espionage, the fear, and the use of womanly wiles, personality and conversation against chivalry.
March 26, 2016
This book took me a month to get through. My first impressions of this book included judgments like "dry," "spliced," "wandering," and "chauvinistic," so I took a break. During that recess, though, I found myself thinking a lot about the stories. I kept referring back to its Civil War details to frame other encounters with events of this era. (There were a lot in that 2-week period: TV shows, radio spots, other books, etc. Coincidence? I think not.) So I went back and finished it, because shallow insight into women's psyche aside, the research and facts are solid. I'm putting it in the same bin as "The Disappearing Spoon"-- the best textbook I ever read cover to cover. And the last chapter was the best, hands down.
March 6, 2012
Wonderful book for anyone interested in Civil War history. This book doesn't present Civil War history just as dry facts and numbers. You get the often unheard back stories of the women who tried to do their part for their cause. Each chapter is the story of a woman for either the North or the South and how she became involved in clandestine activities for the war. You are given information on not only how she entered the war as a spy but what happened to her after the war. Even if you are not a huge fan of history, I think anyone would find this book interesting because it is told in an entertaining way and provides a glimpse into the lives of the people who lived it.
August 31, 2011
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I'm sure mostly because it happened in battlefields all around where I live, but it still is a fascinating read. I like how each chapter was a new spy story, and I was amazed at the lengths these women went through to help during the Civil War. It's a shame there's not much written about them and what is written about them is virtually unknown.
April 24, 2014
A fine book if you want short biographies, but given the tantalizing subject matter, it was a bit dry. The format, bio after bio with no connections or comparisons made between different spies, was dull to read. Even so, there is value in this sort of catalog, even if that value lies in finding something to research more diligently.
Read
July 18, 2018A very readable history of women who spied for the Union and for the Confederacy. I was impressed by the amount of documentation, by the strength of the information available (wow, these women really DID influence the course of the Civil War), and I found the stories very engaging.
May 16, 2018
H. Donald Winkler’s earlier 2008 book Goats and Scapegoats focused on the mistakes made during the Civil War by those who should have known better—the generals involved at the forefront of the conflict. In Stealing Secrets: How a Few Daring Women Deceived Generals, Impacted Battles, and Altered the Course of the Civil War, Winkler goes behind the battle lines, and, in some cases, into the boudoir, in which men once more showed their vulnerability by trading their state secrets for the blissful, but tenuous, embrace of those who would betray their ill-placed trust. However, Winkler is keen to point out that he regards these tales of valor as just that. Underplaying the salacious, and what many would consider to be the scandalous, nature of the liaisons involved, he holds, rather, that the encounters that he describes were, in fact, a success story of the women involved, showing how they were able to impact on the course of the Civil War through their heroic actions. Winkler includes accounts of women, including Harriet Tubman and Loreta Velazquez, who also took an active role on the battlefront as such. In the course of his narrative, he is able to debunk many of the myths and much of the misinformation surrounding the women concerned.
The focus of Stealing Secrets is on the women, in relation to their own households and their network of relations, as much as it is on how their work impacted on the progress of the War. The emotional commitment of the women to those whom they supported is revealed with great honesty and clarity. The excerpts included from memoirs, journals and private correspondence make this an intimate collection of tales. The account is a vivid one, made all the more so by the inclusion of several black-and-white photographs and reproductions of excerpts of newspaper reports of the day, that help to bring the stories to life.
Although dealing with what could possibly be an erotic subject at times, Winkler alludes to the sexual exploits of those heroines who gave their all for the sake of a cause in which they firmly believed in the most chaste of terms. In speaking of one of Rose Greenhow’s lovers, Senator Henry Wilson of Massachusetts, for example, Winkler writes: “the powerful chairman of the Senate Military Affairs Committee was sharing more than tea and crumpets with a Confederate spy.” Winkler is also not beyond making the occasional tongue-in-cheek statement, as in his allusion to the case of Senator Wilson’s letters to Greenhow being kept confidential up until this day: “The Senate has a long history of taking care of its own.” The narrative is told in a straightforward way, using sentences that are easy enough for even a child to understand. Winkler maintains the pace of his text throughout by including few footnotes and by referring to published works in the most general of terms. However, that a great deal of research has gone into this work is clear, with the ten pages listing the various sources used attesting to the fact. The index, in keeping with the rest of the book, is comprehensive, but not unduly cluttered with inconsequential references.
Stealing Secrets: How a Few Daring Women Deceived Generals, Impacted Battles, and Altered the Course of the Civil War is an attractive volume that is well presented and written. Its accessibility of subject matter and style should ensure that it appeals to a wide audience, ranging from those who are interested in the course of the American Civil War to those who are intrigued by any works to do with espionage and with the role of women in conflict.
The focus of Stealing Secrets is on the women, in relation to their own households and their network of relations, as much as it is on how their work impacted on the progress of the War. The emotional commitment of the women to those whom they supported is revealed with great honesty and clarity. The excerpts included from memoirs, journals and private correspondence make this an intimate collection of tales. The account is a vivid one, made all the more so by the inclusion of several black-and-white photographs and reproductions of excerpts of newspaper reports of the day, that help to bring the stories to life.
Although dealing with what could possibly be an erotic subject at times, Winkler alludes to the sexual exploits of those heroines who gave their all for the sake of a cause in which they firmly believed in the most chaste of terms. In speaking of one of Rose Greenhow’s lovers, Senator Henry Wilson of Massachusetts, for example, Winkler writes: “the powerful chairman of the Senate Military Affairs Committee was sharing more than tea and crumpets with a Confederate spy.” Winkler is also not beyond making the occasional tongue-in-cheek statement, as in his allusion to the case of Senator Wilson’s letters to Greenhow being kept confidential up until this day: “The Senate has a long history of taking care of its own.” The narrative is told in a straightforward way, using sentences that are easy enough for even a child to understand. Winkler maintains the pace of his text throughout by including few footnotes and by referring to published works in the most general of terms. However, that a great deal of research has gone into this work is clear, with the ten pages listing the various sources used attesting to the fact. The index, in keeping with the rest of the book, is comprehensive, but not unduly cluttered with inconsequential references.
Stealing Secrets: How a Few Daring Women Deceived Generals, Impacted Battles, and Altered the Course of the Civil War is an attractive volume that is well presented and written. Its accessibility of subject matter and style should ensure that it appeals to a wide audience, ranging from those who are interested in the course of the American Civil War to those who are intrigued by any works to do with espionage and with the role of women in conflict.
May 10, 2020
This was an extremely interesting book and I very much enjoyed reading it!
The Civil War is a period of particular interest to me to start, so I always enjoy learning more about it.
This book focuses on females on both the Union side and the Confederacy who took on the role of spy for their respective governments. The stories of these women were fascinating and held my interest completely as I read through their stories.
The author does an excellent job of highlighting the humanity of all these women, and demonstrating that while today's reader likely understands it was the correct outcome for the Union to prevail, at the time both sides genuinely believed their cause and perspectives to be the right one. All the people in this book believed in what they were doing and felt it for the greater good. There are stories about women spying for both the Union and the Confederacy about equally, and all are told without judgement.
It was also interesting to learn how completely the men - supposedly the stronger and more powerful sex - were deceived and fooled by these women, and how easily in many cases they were completely duped about their intentions and abilities. The activities and accomplishments the women highlighted here managed is nothing short of incredible, and made for engrossing reading! A number of the women successfully passed as men; in hospitals, in large gatherings, and even in battle, these women masqueraded as men and nobody realized it.
The cleverness and intelligence of the women spies was fascinating, as was - in some cases - the utter ruthlessness of their motivations and subsequent actions. The old saying about hell having no fury like a woman scorned, while intended to refer to love, is also quite apt in the case of women trying to save their society and way of life. These women had no scruples or hesitation about doing anything to anyone that would support their side in this most ugly and vicious war.
The other aspect of the book that I - as a Canadian - particularly enjoyed, was the multiple involvements of Canada during the Civil War which are detailed in some of the women's stories. While Canada, unfortunately, supported the Confederacy in the conflict, it was still so interesting to learn about the cross-border travels, the assistance and involvement provided in Canada to many from the Confederacy during the war.
If you are interested in the Civil War, and/or enjoy learning more about strong, capable, intelligent women doing exciting things in a non-fiction form, I highly recommend this book. The author does an excellent job of making non-fiction engaging by making the women and their lives the foundation for telling the stories of the things they did for love of their - respective - countries.
The Civil War is a period of particular interest to me to start, so I always enjoy learning more about it.
This book focuses on females on both the Union side and the Confederacy who took on the role of spy for their respective governments. The stories of these women were fascinating and held my interest completely as I read through their stories.
The author does an excellent job of highlighting the humanity of all these women, and demonstrating that while today's reader likely understands it was the correct outcome for the Union to prevail, at the time both sides genuinely believed their cause and perspectives to be the right one. All the people in this book believed in what they were doing and felt it for the greater good. There are stories about women spying for both the Union and the Confederacy about equally, and all are told without judgement.
It was also interesting to learn how completely the men - supposedly the stronger and more powerful sex - were deceived and fooled by these women, and how easily in many cases they were completely duped about their intentions and abilities. The activities and accomplishments the women highlighted here managed is nothing short of incredible, and made for engrossing reading! A number of the women successfully passed as men; in hospitals, in large gatherings, and even in battle, these women masqueraded as men and nobody realized it.
The cleverness and intelligence of the women spies was fascinating, as was - in some cases - the utter ruthlessness of their motivations and subsequent actions. The old saying about hell having no fury like a woman scorned, while intended to refer to love, is also quite apt in the case of women trying to save their society and way of life. These women had no scruples or hesitation about doing anything to anyone that would support their side in this most ugly and vicious war.
The other aspect of the book that I - as a Canadian - particularly enjoyed, was the multiple involvements of Canada during the Civil War which are detailed in some of the women's stories. While Canada, unfortunately, supported the Confederacy in the conflict, it was still so interesting to learn about the cross-border travels, the assistance and involvement provided in Canada to many from the Confederacy during the war.
If you are interested in the Civil War, and/or enjoy learning more about strong, capable, intelligent women doing exciting things in a non-fiction form, I highly recommend this book. The author does an excellent job of making non-fiction engaging by making the women and their lives the foundation for telling the stories of the things they did for love of their - respective - countries.
April 15, 2022
A very interesting look into a lot of women who were spies during the Civil War. Each with a strength and determination to succeed for their cause. Along with what they did to help shape the outcome of the war- as some plans did succeed. We often hear more about the generals and the war, not so much about the women who were doing their own work to further a cause dear to them. They were very resourceful using their feminine persuasions, charms and flirtations along with finding unique places to hide the messages they were carrying from hair, to hoop skirts, to a dental implant.
I didn’t completely get fully into it until chapter two and by that point I was invested. Then when I hit the second to last chapter, it told a lot of short stories about more women that ranged in engagement for me. The author mentioned in the intro about one escaping the gallows and one being executed. I questioned that first one as there seemed to be a very small handful that escaped the gallows. By the end I’m going wow with the sheer amazement as to what these ladies accomplished & pondering over the last story about Mary Surat. This is a book that's going to stay with me for a while and I'm glad I took the time to read it.
I didn’t completely get fully into it until chapter two and by that point I was invested. Then when I hit the second to last chapter, it told a lot of short stories about more women that ranged in engagement for me. The author mentioned in the intro about one escaping the gallows and one being executed. I questioned that first one as there seemed to be a very small handful that escaped the gallows. By the end I’m going wow with the sheer amazement as to what these ladies accomplished & pondering over the last story about Mary Surat. This is a book that's going to stay with me for a while and I'm glad I took the time to read it.
November 1, 2019
Preferred this book about women spies & collaborators, both North and South, during the American Civil War to Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Abbott. Each chapter was about a different woman which made the storytelling easier to follow than in Abbott's book.
One thing I did like better with Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy was the endnotes. This books give bibliography, but not endnotes.
Especially of interest was chapter on Harriet Tubman and her work as spy and spy master, and her essential work in carrying out the Combahee River raid.
Another most interesting woman was Sarah Slater, in part because she was mysterious and was misidentified by those who wanted to capture her and because in the end, she vanished. Her connections to Kinston and New Bern, NC, and to Trinity College (Duke University) were unknown to me. She also had connection with the individuals involved in President Lincoln's assassination.
One thing I did like better with Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy was the endnotes. This books give bibliography, but not endnotes.
Especially of interest was chapter on Harriet Tubman and her work as spy and spy master, and her essential work in carrying out the Combahee River raid.
Another most interesting woman was Sarah Slater, in part because she was mysterious and was misidentified by those who wanted to capture her and because in the end, she vanished. Her connections to Kinston and New Bern, NC, and to Trinity College (Duke University) were unknown to me. She also had connection with the individuals involved in President Lincoln's assassination.
December 6, 2018
I really got into this book. The glimpses into each woman's life and why she chose to be a spy were fascinating. I learned more about the Civil War and the struggles of the people on the ground. I loved that insight so different from the major battles and the perspective of the people in power that I see most often. If you're interested in the Civil War or are simply curious about the role women have played in our nation's history, I'd recommend reading this one.
March 27, 2019
A bit of a chore to read. The short bios blended together and, while full of interesting facts, felt too dense to really do any of the women justice. (There’s something funny about a tagline that reads “How a few daring women deceived generals, impacted battles, and altered the course of the Civil War” when the majority of the featured women were Confederates. Like, I guess they didn’t alter the course that much 🤷♀️ )
September 8, 2019
This book was a collection of interesting stories about female spies during the civil war. The author picks a fair variety of women to highlight, with contributions both big and small from both sides of the war. The biggest drawback of this book is the authors introductory descriptions of each woman. The descriptions were over sexualized and excessive. It was obvious that the author was a man.
June 27, 2022
Can read cover to cover or just the spies you wish to know more about. Can tell author did his research (or enough) to cover. Found it interesting some spy’s chapters seem to be a lot of the spy’s diary.
October 26, 2017
Very Informative Book
This is a fascinating book, very interesting and educational. I think it proves just how capable and inventive women can be when necessary.
This is a fascinating book, very interesting and educational. I think it proves just how capable and inventive women can be when necessary.
January 22, 2019
I read this for a history class, I'm studying Rose O'Neal Greenhow. This book is a collection of stories about multiple women were Civil War spies, and was a very interesting read.
January 31, 2019
Cool book! Women are amazing. Our history is hidden but so worth digging up.
July 12, 2019
Interesting to see the history, but still a dry read sometimes...I skipped around to diff stories instead of reading straight through.
Read
February 22, 2022Very good
Read
June 29, 2024Very interesting stories!
November 20, 2024
I love this topic. But I've read so many other books that are better. I gave up on this one.
July 31, 2016
For an aspiring historian, this book was a treasure trove of information. Organized by the name and stories of individual women, this book is an easy reference guide if you are referencing one person or a dictionary of Civil War era female spies if you are looking at the works as a whole. It is written in an engaging, story telling tone that make the content both easy to understand and realistic. Although at times, the book is repetitive as far as methods and similar stories, that is part of the history that was the Civil War spies. The methods that worked were used over and over again. The author does a very good job of introducing each women and giving adequate background information on her and her family as well as her personal and military exploits. The author also included stories about well known women such as Harriet Tubman who was most famous for the Underground Railroad but is often left out of the history books as the first and only women to lead a major military raid in United States history, and a fabulously successful one at that. Also included are two stories of women soldiers who posed as men in the Civil War; one who actually fought in hand to hand combat on the battlefields of Mananas Junction, Bull Run and Shiloh. The author ends the books with the astonishing story of Mary Stauut and her wrongful execution as the first female Civil War spy to be hung. This is a must read for history lovers and researchers alike.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2020
An interesting collection of the stories of a number of women who engaged in spying activities for both the Union and Confederacy. The author seems to have taken great pains to do thorough and detailed research although some of the information is questioned by other authors and sources.
Even if only half of the stories are true, they depict bold and courageous young women, many of whom were in their teens, who passionately believed in the cause of whichever side they supported. They are women who impersonated men and lived side-by-side with soldiers, women who used their feminine wiles to pry battle plans and strategy out of smitten soldiers, women who were couriers transporting supplies and medicine back and forth across the enemy lines Some were from wealthy and privileged backgrounds and some were simple country women.
The most amazing thing is that the Civil War era was a time in the US where women were viewed only as mothers and home makers. They were dismissed as being in any way useful to the war effort, that is until these courageous women proved them wrong.
Even if only half of the stories are true, they depict bold and courageous young women, many of whom were in their teens, who passionately believed in the cause of whichever side they supported. They are women who impersonated men and lived side-by-side with soldiers, women who used their feminine wiles to pry battle plans and strategy out of smitten soldiers, women who were couriers transporting supplies and medicine back and forth across the enemy lines Some were from wealthy and privileged backgrounds and some were simple country women.
The most amazing thing is that the Civil War era was a time in the US where women were viewed only as mothers and home makers. They were dismissed as being in any way useful to the war effort, that is until these courageous women proved them wrong.
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