The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-08-03
Although Il Woman. Her Courage
Was Strong and Her
Service Great.
BETTE VAN LEW HER NAME.
Gave Federal Commander Most La.
portant Information From
RichmOnd-Hp Afterwards
Showed Gratitude.
REpUBLIC SPECIAL.

| REpC BLIC SPECIAL.
| Richmond, Va, Aug. Taps Will soon
| be sounding for one of the bravest soldiers
| of the War of the Rebellon-soldier none
| the less because her sex was gentle, be-
cause she never carried sword or musket,
| nor wore the army blue.
Miss Bette Van Lew is dying. That is
the name by which she is known every
where-the sweet :iminutive which the af-
fectionate Southern people like to use.
When she signed her name to check or
document it was Elizabeth; but she
loved the name Of Bette.
If you had asked General Grant, after
the war. which Of his trusted spies sent
him the most valuable and most reliable in
formation IN the days when he was driving
the trip-hammer Of war against the capital
of the Confederacy he would probably
have told You 1t 4 woman. He might
and might not have called her name. It
WAS Miss Van Lew.
Rich Before the War.
She was rich in the days before the war.
She was weil-to-do afterwards. until the
boom of speculation swept away her IA
ther's fortune. Her father was Northern
man. who settled in Richmond and amassed
u large fortune in the hardware business
He bought Il square of ground on the hill
near old st. Johns Church, and made it the
site of one OF the Ioveliest homes in fir-
ginia.
When the war broke out Miss Van Lew
made no effort to conceal the fact that she
was a Union sympathizer She refused 20
leave her house and declared that she
would remain there and see the Yankee
soldiers march in and take possession.
The opening of Libby Prison for the re-
Van Lew lots of employment. She visited
the prison, nucsed the sick, when permitted
to do so. wrote letters for the unhappy fel-
lows immured there. and she was Il born
carry them out, too.
Furnished Information to Grant.
But time came when Miss Van Lew rad
more important business. It was the fur
nShing of Information to General Grant,
whose army was beginning to press Rich-
mond, and who had established headGuart-
ers at City Point.
Grant Is not known. Nor is it of present
moment Bus how Miss Van Lew got them
out of the city and through the Confederate
lines has been learned since tn" war was
over. An old Uncle Tom" was the bearer.
He lived on plantation which her father
owned some miles out of the city ana 80
frequently came in bringing her fresh
fruits and vegetables in a big market bas
ket, which was always carefully searched
by the guards, who found nothing cCntca-
band of war.
They never thought to look in the big
brognns of the negro, red wi=:l tie mud Of
Old Nirginny. or they might have discovered
that they were double, and that between
the outer ais: irner folds was a place large
enough to .Ulc the papers of the woman.
Grants Gratitude Was Substantial.
Miss Van Lew took part In the secret
resurrection Of the body of colonel Dahl
gren. the son of Admiral Dahlgrcn. who was
killed with a most bloodthrsty 1rIer in
his pocket. which 50 stirred up the people
of Richmond that they did not want him
to have decent burial She helped 70 have
it disnterred and removed from the city
IN a caSket. hidden under :. pile Of stakes.
When Richmond was evacuated General
Grant sent an aid to guard the house Of
his friend. and, when hard times came upon
Miss Van Lew, he signed the order As
President which gave her Il comfortable
berth IN Washington. and he often had her
Us his guest Of honor at the White House.