The American Civil War stretched far beyond the battlefields, where massive armies slugged it out. In fact, the war also played out in family homes, at balls, and in the halls of government. In these distinct and oftentimes discreet arenas, politicians and even spies played very important roles. One such character was a woman named Rose O’Neal Greenhow.
It was a gray and balmy spring morning when I visited historic Oakdale Cemetery in Wilmington, North Carolina. I’ve always enjoyed exploring old cemeteries and on this occasion, I was also looking for the final resting place for some of my 19th-century ancestors.
As I searched amidst the forest of headstones for my relatives gone-by, a small flag caught my eye. As I approached the simple whit headstone with a cross on top, I was struck by the familiarity of the name that was inscribed on it: Rose O’Neal Greenhow. In college I had written a term paper about her, so I immediately realized what I had stumbled upon- the grave for a notorious Confederate spy.
History
Rose O’Neal Greenhow was born around 1814 in Montgomery County, Maryland. Born as Maria Rosetta, her normal childhood and upbringing would one day take a drastic turn. As a young teenager, she moved to Washington D.C. (then known as Washington City) and became enamored by the social scene. As she learned the ins and outs of the political landscape, Doctor Robert Greenhow took interest in the mysterious young woman.
On May 26, 1835, Dr. Greenhow and Rose married, which vaulted her status and gained her acceptance into high-brow Washington society. After a few years on the west coast with her husband and children, Rose returned to Washington without her husband and in 1854, he died from an accidental fall. Now widowed and provided a federal pension, Rose flourished in Washington and even purchased a home a few blocks from the White House.
When the American Civil War broke out, Rose was destined to serve a peculiar role in the war as a proud Southern woman in the capital city. In the spring of 1861, she was recruited to join a Confederate spy network in the city by Captain Thomas Jordan. One of her first major contributions was to smuggle information about the Union Army’s plan to advance on Manassas, Virginia. After hearing this critical information, Rose wrote a cipher on a note and hid it in the hair of a young woman named Bettie Duvall, who quietly left the city and provided the critical information to Confederates in Fairfax Court House, Virginia. The Confederate forces were able to concentrate their forces and ultimately earn a victory in the First Battle of Manassas.
On August 23, 1861, “Rebel Rose” as she was known was placed in house arrest after suspicions were raised about her social and political connections. Allen Pinkerton led the way and her home was also searched, where evidence of encoded letters, maps of Union fortifications in the city, and other key information was found. In January 1862, she was transferred from house arrest to the Old Capitol Prison. It is believed she continued to pass intelligence from her prison cell.
On May 31, 1862, Rose was finally released from prison until the stipulation that she stay in confederate territory. She proceeded to Richmond, where she hailed as a hero. Confederate President Jefferson Davis recruited her to serve as a courier with Europe. In this role, she rode blockade runners and carried out diplomatic missions and information.
In the fall of 1864, Rose was returning to the United States onboard the British blockade runner, Condor. On October 1st, the ship was pursued and ran aground near the mouth of the Cape Fear River south of Wilmington, North Carolina. In fear of capture, Rose used a rowboat in an attempt to escape; however, the small boat was capsized. Due to the around $2,000 worth of gold sewn into her dress, she sank and was drowned.
