The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-12-02
Elizabeth Van Lew, Grants Woman
Soy, al the Confederate Capital


ger them her educated negress, and
what more natural than that. in graft
tude for her freedom and many other
benefits. she should make the very
/ best use of her opportunities and her
education in gaining accurate and au-
thentic information with regard to the
secret workings of the Confederacy-
information which by some means, let
no man at this late date cavil how.
was promptly communicated TO the
White House of the Union at Washing
lton?
Historic Fireplace.
| In the library of the Van Lew man
sion there is quaint old fireplace.
On either side is an iron support. sur
mounted by a couchant lion. One of
these is fixed. the other so constructed
| that it may be lifted like the cover of
secret chest Deep in The recess OF
that pillar was deposited the cipher
messages. often in sympathetic ink.
which were brought from Washington
Tor from Grants headquarters by for
Torn old negroes. who bore them in the
wadding of their shoes or between
patches of their miserable rags, and
There these never suspected messen-
gers found other communications
which they bore in return, though Miss
Van Lew might never so much as give
them a glance. and though the house
| ~ nf
the Confederacy watching the fair
tspy's every move.
Through Miss Van Lew General
Grant and the whole North were con-
Istantly appraised of the movements OF
1.-The Southern army. Through her in
formation many plan of attack was
abandoned and another substituted.
The maneuvres of the troops. the So
lcrets of the Richmond White House.
the changes in the official staff and
1.-THE plans for concerted action-all was
communicated through that little re-
pository under the couchant lion. while
lspies were ripping up carpets and fore
ing bureau drawers with the hopes of
discovering evidence enough to compel
the fair unionist to leave the country,
but all to no avail.
Straight into the camp of the non
plussed General Winder, provost mar
lshal of the district, the fearless spy
would ride audaciously and say:
'Sir. your ordering your underling
officers to search my home for evil
dence to convict me in league with the
enemy is beneath the conduct of an
officer and a gentleman,
Whereupon the general would turn
livid. bite his mustache and say moth
ling, but with mighty thinkings in his
neart all the same.
Horses were nearly as valuable as
men in and about Richmond at that
time. and there was little scruple with
: regard to seizing them wherever found
MANY a lady was stopped in her car
riage. the horses cut from the trace:
and the victim for the exigencies o
= war left stranded on four wheels. Mis-:
: Van Lew had six magnificent horses
: much coveted by the officers of thu
Confederacy. and fearing that the.
l. would be appropriated. she gave on
!. the information that they had beel
disposed of when in reality sh
brought them from the stable and ir
e stalled them in her cellar.
One day the officers came with tn
G information that she had conceale
y the horses in the cellar, to which tn
smiling Miss Van Lew demurred, Will
q she fed them on the daintiest OF cake
q and the rarest of Southern yintages l
q the great dining room. Afterward sh
s bade a servant show the gentleme
+, into the cellar by roundabout quite
IT way, giving them the wrong set
. keys.
While they were haggling at tn
;. outer door Miss Van Lew was leadin
> he horses, one by one, up the broa
cellar stairs and over the heavily ca
pe,ed floor to the dining room, an
while the searchers were at last el
y gagged in exploring the cellar Miss Va
:" Lew was keeping her pets quiet ;
: feeding them cake.
10 Friend of Libby's Prison.
=. But il was when Libby Prison bega
n to fill with Union prisoners that Mi
,e- Van Lew showed herself the staunc
1T. est Unionist She was in consta
m. communication with the leading Unit
lie officers within the prison. All q
al world remembers the thrilling Pill
,ly which was decided upon TO gain ire
in dom from that place of living torme
of l-tunneling seventy feet under the
cant lot beyond the lines. and with
sr other implements than an old kni
an and a chisel. the working hours bel
NO from 10 O'Clock at night till in I
N morning. the dirt withdrawn to
av. cleverly concealed
in In this daring and remarkable emit
ell prise the plotters were advised and
couraged from without by Miss
but / Lew BIZ secret messages On Il
to thrilling night of February, 1864. Go
0 q incl Thomas e Rose OF the Seven
I'VE iseventh PENNSYLVANIA volunteers. Y
yes was captured at Chicamauga the
De turnn previous. and who planned
,ut. escape with his fellow officers. gair
z a his freedom. with more than humid
ner Others. including eleven colonies
and seven majors. sixty-hve OF whom
ion Guiding Colonel Rose, were recaptur
SEES. The others with some exceptio
the were met at dead OF night by hr'
ere Lizzie Van Lew and escorted to