Episode 185 Spies of the Civil War - Rose Greenhow

A storm‑tossed blockade‑runner, a satchel of Confederate gold, and a woman whose secrets shaped the early days of the Civil War—this episode uncovers the life of famed spy Rose O’Neal Greenhow. From Washington parlors to prison cells to the dark waters off Fort Fisher, her story reveals the hidden world of Southern espionage and the final choice that bound her to the cause she refused to abandon.

Join the Community on Patreon:

Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries

🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries

Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists.

📱 Follow on Social Media:

Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [e-mail]

Episode Sources

• Greenhow, Rose O’Neal. My Imprisonment and the First Year of Abolition Rule at Washington. London: Richard Bentley, 1863.
• Pinkerton, Allan. The Spy of the Rebellion: Being a True History of the Spy System of the United States Army During the Late Rebellion. New York: G.W. Carleton & Co., 1883.
• Boyd, Belle. Belle Boyd in Camp and Prison. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1865.
• Van Lew, Elizabeth. Papers and correspondence, 1860–1870. Library of Virginia, Richmond.
• Davis, Jefferson. The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1881.
• U.S. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1880–1901.
• National Archives and Records Administration. “Old Capitol Prison Records,” Record Group 393.
• Blanton, DeAnne. “Women Soldiers, Spies, and Patriots of the Civil War.” National Archives, 1993.
• Leonard, Elizabeth D. All the Daring of the Soldier: Women of the Civil War Armies. New York: W.W. Norton, 1999.
• Wheeler, Richard. Voices of 1861. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1961.
• Clinton, Catherine. Southern Women in the Civil War. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000.
• McPherson, James M. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988.
• Browning, Robert M. From Cape Charles to Cape Fear: The North Atlantic Blockading Squadron During the Civil War. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1993.
• Fonvielle, Chris E. The Wilmington Campaign: Last Rays of Departing Hope. Campbell, CA: Savas Publishing, 1997.
• “Wilmington Daily Journal,” October 1864. Coverage of the wreck of the Condor and the death of Rose O’Neal Greenhow.
• “Richmond Enquirer,” 1861–1862. Reports on the arrest and imprisonment of Rose O’Neal Greenhow.
• “The New York Times,” August–September 1861. Coverage of Greenhow’s arrest and Pinkerton’s investigation.
• Library of Congress. “Civil War Glass Negatives and Related Prints,” Prints and Photographs Division.
• National Park Service. “First Battle of Manassas: Intelligence and Espionage,” Manassas National Battlefield Park.
• Sutherland, Daniel E. A Savage Conflict: The Decisive Role of Guerrillas in the American Civil War. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2009.
• Fishel, Edwin C. The Secret War for the Union: The Untold Story of Military Intelligence in the Civil War. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1996.
• Bakeless, John. Spies of the Confederacy. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1970.
• Horan, James D. Confederate Agent: A True Story of the Civil War. New York: Crown Publishers, 1954.
• Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies, Series I, Vol. 10. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1900.
• North Carolina Office of Archives and History. “Fort Fisher and the Blockade Runners,” Raleigh, NC.

Episode Music

Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.