The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1917-08-11

advance. There was great need of
spies.
However, some historians attribute
McClellan's failure to win the decisive
results that were open to him at Ante
tam to the mistaken reports Of the
great preponderance of numbers in
Lees army that were received from
the secret service organization. Nc
Clellan seemed inclined to use the
agency too much to learn the strength
of the enemy and too little to learn its
weaknesses.
Operation Of Women Spies.
Miss Van Lew, a resident of Rich
mOnd, Va, rendered invaluable service
to the Union cause, and Mrs. Green
how was equally valuable to the Con
federacy as a spy in Washington. Mrs.
Greenhow had been a leader in Wash
ington society before the war. "She
was a Southerner by birth, but a resi-
dent Of the capital from girlhood; a
widow, beautiful, accomplished,
wealthy, and noted for her wit and
A-NA NANNLuA AoohGA4lANs IltL NlNt
acquaintance among important men
was used to good advantage to further
the Southern cause. Though suspect
ed by the Federal authorities, she con
trived many ingenious ways I o escape
their vigilance. Jefferson Davis said
to her: But for you there would
have been no battle of Bull Run
| That lAFnHN &c H. Nv--Al
to have been largely due to her getting
a copy of the order to General Nc.
Dowell and sending it to Beauregard
She was drowned at the mouth of Cape
Fear river, North Carolina, in her at
tempt to land from the blockade run
ner Condor, after some secret mission
to England in behalf of the COnfed
eracy. Weighted by her heavy black
silk dress and a bag Of gold sovereigns
she was an easy victim of the waves.
We have the word Of the adjutant
generals office of the war department
that women spies were never shot dur.
ing the Civil war.
Secret Stations and Ciphers.
The Army and Navy Journal says
that the greater part of the information
that was received at Washington from
Richmond was collected and trans.
mitted by Miss Van Lew, through q
chain of five secret stations established
by her for forwarding her cipher dis.
patches. "She was a woman of forty
of delicate figure, brilliant, accomplish.
ed, resolute-a woman of great person.
ality and infinite charm" She held in
Richmond a special position CORE,
spending to that of Mrs. Greenhow IL
Washington. Jenny Lind sam in hel
parlor and Poe there read aloud hi.
Raven" This house was the rendez
vous of the Federal secret agents, and
there, In her "secret ROOM were con
cealed escaped union prisoners. Mis-!
Van Lew even had the audacity Il
get a negro girl devoted TO her inter
ests introduced as a waitress into tn,
home of Jefferson Davis. Though he
Northern sympathies were well known
and she was constantly suspected, ne
evidence against her sufficient Il
cause her arrest vas ever obtained.
Mrs. Surratt was condemned anC
hanged for participation in the Lincoln
assassination plot. Her home had beer
a regular meeting place for conspira
tors, and her son among them, an(
Payne, who attempted to kill Seward
was on his way to the Surratt rendez
vous when arrested.
Belle Boyd was the siren spy of thu
South. The daughter of a Virgins
merchant, "blue eyed, sharp featured
quick tempered and very free" sh,
easily attracted the young officers anC
learned how to get information anC
get 1t across the border without de
lection. She rode a spirited horse anC
carried a revolver in her belt. Not sat
isfed with her individual efforts, sh,
organized a corps Of spies of her owl
style.
Virginia women lighted many a sig
nal lamp by the garnet windows, ant