Welcome back to History Undressed, our regular 3rd Tuesday blogger, Tara Kingston! Today she's bringing us Part Two of her Petticoat Spies article. The first can be viewed here. Enjoy!
Bold...Brilliant...Brave...Heroines
Throughout History
PETTICOAT SPIES ~ Part Two
by Tara Kingston
Greetings! I’m Tara Kingston, historical romance author and lover of all
things Victorian. I’m fascinated by history through the ages, especially the
bold, brilliant women who helped shape our world, and I’m delighted to be a
monthly contributor to History Undressed. I’ll be sharing facts about daring
women through history—some famous, some not so well-known, but all remarkable
with their own unique contributions.
Today’s post takes a look at several female spies of the Civil War era. Driven
by fierce loyalty, women on both sides of the conflict faced incredible risks
to gather intelligence that help defeat the enemy. This month, the focus is on
some of brave women who spied for the Confederacy.
Rose O’Neal
Greenhow ~ The widowed Washington, D.C. socialite known as “Rebel Rose” used her
considerable connections to spy for the Confederacy. A charming hostess, Rebel
Rose gleaned information on military activities and Washington’s defenses and
passed this on to Confederate leadership. Her activities drew the suspicion of
Allan Pinkerton, resulting in her house arrest and eventual confinement in the
Old Capitol Prison for several months. Deported to the South, Mrs. Greenhow was
sent on a diplomatic mission to Britain and France by Jefferson Davis. During
her time in England, Mrs. Greenhow wrote and published her memoirs.
Belle Boyd ~ Born in West
Virginia in 1844, Belle Boyd began spying for the Confederacy at the age of
seventeen. Using her skill at flirtation to help her gather info, Belle served
as a courier, passing information to Confederate generals such as Stonewall
Jackson and P.G.T. Beauregard. The woman known as “Cleopatra of the Secession”
and “Siren of the Shenandoah” was arrested on multiple occasions by Union
forces and faced eventual imprisonment in the Old Capitol Prison. Following her
release, Belle boarded a ship bound for England in 1864, intent on transporting
Confederate papers. After the ship was intercepted by a Union Navy vessel,
Belle was again arrested as a spy. She fell in love with a Union officer who
was one of her captors, Samuel Hardinge; they later married and had a daughter.
After the war, Belle Boyd wrote and published a memoir, Belle Boyd in Camp and Prison, and launched a career as an actress
and performer, eventually touring the country giving lectures on her adventures
as a Civil War spy.
Antonia Ford
Willard ~ Born in Virginia in 1838, Antonia Ford gathered information from
occupying Union soldiers in her hometown, Fairfax Court House and provided
military intelligence to Confederate general J.E.B. Stuart and spied for
Colonel John Mosby, leader of a group of Confederate rangers. Miss Ford
received an honorary commission as an aide-de-camp from Stuart in 1861. Accused
of spying in 1863, Antonia Ford was arrested and held in the Old Capitol
Prison. Her arresting officer, Major Joseph Willard, had lobbied for her
release. After taking the Oath of Allegiance, Antonia was released from prison
and went on to marry Major Willard. Their son later became the lieutenant
governor of Virginia.
Petticoat spies like these courageous women inspired my Secrets & Spies series. The three
books in the series are available for Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. Here’s a
link to the first book in the series: Secrets, Spies & Sweet Little Lies on Kindle
Here’s a little about the story:
A heart's destiny
cannot be denied when a daring Union spy abducts a beautiful runaway bride he
suspects of being a traitor.
Emma Davenport was a model senator’s daughter: prim, proper, but
hell-bent on escaping the dreaded fate of spinsterhood that awaited her under
wartime Washington’s all-too watchful eye. She was going to be a bride, and no
one was going to stop her. Not even the daring renegade who steals her from a
train transporting her to a forbidden marriage. Her heart tells her this
mysterious desperado is a dangerous man, but the pleasure of his touch is a
more potent threat than any weapon.
Union Army Major Cole Travis is a highly trained operative, as skilled
with deception as he is with a gun. Keeping a beautiful traitor from her
rendezvous with a treacherous scoundrel shouldn’t be a challenge for the
battle-seasoned spy—but he’s not the only one after his tempting captive. Emma
Davenport must be kept out of enemy hands at all costs. Drawn to this woman
whose innocent allure may be just another weapon in her arsenal, Cole risks his
neck to shield her. Soon, however, protecting her from his own heart’s desire
becomes another story entirely.
To Read More About Civil War Petticoat Spies:
All photographs are
in the public domain.
About The Author:
Award-winning author Tara
Kingston writes historical romance laced with intrigue, danger, and adventures
of the heart. A Southern belle-out-of-water in a quaint Pennsylvania town, she
lives her own love story with her real-life hero in a cozy Victorian. The
mother of two sons, Tara's a former librarian whose love of books is evident in
her popping-at-the-seams bookcases. It goes without saying that Tara's husband
is thankful for the invention of digital books, thereby eliminating the need
for yet another set of shelves. When she's not writing, reading, or burning
dinner, Tara enjoys cycling, hiking, and cheering on her favorite football
team.
Connect with Tara at www.tarakingston.com and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTaraKingston
In a world where a man’s loyalty doesn’t depend on the color
of a uniform, danger, intrigue, and passion are facts of life for the men and
women of Tara’s Secrets & Spies series, historical
romances set against the backdrop of the Civil War. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GK677PY/ref=series_rw_dp_sw
