The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-08-03
SPIES OF THE GREAT WAR.
A Virginia Newspapers Interesting
Talk About Them.

n virginia GSWoPuPoA Ah1SAOSeAAb
Talk About Them.
Richmond Dispatch.
In the New York Press and number
Of other Northern papers of last Sunday
appeared a handsomely illustrated article
on Miss Bette Van Lew and the Van
Lew homestead, written by Miss Glider
Ia s. whittle.
The mansion is now the home of the
Virginia Club and a most delightful
home II Is, too with Its spacious porticos
pleasant grove and charming walks and
vIstas showing the winding river and, in
the distance, the fertile fields Of Chester
field. So far, certainly. as the summer
season is concerned, we know of no 9TH
er club so happily housed FOR So plctur-
esdueiy environed. An then. too. the
visitor there has something TO talk about
and think about The premises are asso-
ciated with the great war, and the pro-
prietress of them was not only union
list. but q union spy, In so far as she was
qualified TO NIL that position. Her SER
vices as spy however. must pale into
insisnificance in comparison with her de-
votion to the prisoners who were held
in the Libby.
It was quite natural that Miss whittle
should adopt the long circulated story
that prisoners escaping from the Libby
prison were temporarily concealed in the
attic Of the Van Lew house-ln a secret
chamber--but our own recollection is clear
and positive that Miss Van Lew told us
the story was without foundation"
She said her house was under surveil-
ance constantly. and that 1t was some
times searched, and therefore. she had
to provide for escaped prisoners else
where.
As to the information Miss Van Lew
furnished the enemy. we cannot thing 1t
was very valuable. Unfortunately for U.S.
Grant had far better sources Of informa-
ton as TO Confederate military move
ments. II is well known now that one Of
the clerks in our War Department was
his spy. and there is reason TO believe
that an officer who had extraordinary OPP
portunities for acquiring military secrets
he was not in the War Department
betrayed U.S. And from time to time
Pinkerton and other Federal secret SER
vice men came TO the city and conferred
with the local spies and carried away
budgets Of news One OF these fellows.
Webster, fell into our hands and was
hanged at Camp Lee cod Fair
Grounds'') now the exposition grounds
When taken from prison to be conveyed
IN the place Of execution he gave evidence
OF affect fear. but braced up a little
when ad1ured by mis- wife to be man"
His wife was not with him when he was
captured. but we suppose was allowed to
come through the lines and visit him in
bis time Of Unreasonable terror and woe
However. that may be. she was with him
here in Richmond on that day.
The operations Of the Federal spies in
Richmond during the '6l-'65 period would
make a thrilling story II properly told
There Is much reason TO believe that
there were many more of them than we
dreamed of then. And. as we have hint
ed in the foregoing paragraph. at least
one Of those who incurred suspicion-to
put 1t mildly-hel1 a commission and
knew what news was valuable and how
to get IT.: but It was not until the war
was over that the enormity OF his trans
gressions was known.
The Confederate had their spies In
Washington. too. but none in high places.
One was a woman in a government Office.
who furnished such secrets as she was
able to obtain. but her budgets had TO be
sent for; she could not manage to send
1t through the lines. She was a lover Of
the South and her work was done without
pay.
We had many good friends, too. in
Maryland, who sent US news when they
could get It. One Of these had his home
on the banks Of the Potomac, and when