Dr. Robert Greenhow

1. Dr. Robert Greenhow Married to 627 P.G.T. Beauregard Thomas Jordan 1817 Washington, D.C. Highly Educated, School Unknown Mother and Spy My nickname is Wild Rose and I am known as a beautiful and intriguing woman. I have lots of friends and connections in both the Union and Confederacy. Unknown I believe that secession is the way to go. The North and the South just can’t stay united any longer. John C. Calhoun "I employed every capacity with which God has endowed me, and the result was far more successful than my hopes could have flattered me to expect." Rose O’Neal Greenhow Davis and Beauregard are sending me to England and France. Can’t wait! Rose O’Neal Greenhow Pinkerton has me and Little Rose on house arrest. I swear, I’m innocent. Rose O’Neal Greenhow Davis says I’ve won Bull Run for us!!!! Rose O’Neal Greenhow September, 1862 August, 1861 July 22, 1861 Rose O’Neal Greenhow Got company coming over today. Wish me luck ;) July 1, 1861

2. Got company coming over today. Wish me luck ;) Rose O’Neal Greenhow was a confederate spy. She was known as a very beautiful and intelligent woman. Rose often entertained important generals from the Union. Since she was a popular and pretty woman, she was often able to get important information out of the generals. She then sent this information to General Beauregard and President Davis, giving them many advantages during the war. This is a copy of the coded letter Rose sent to Beauregard. To the right is her key to the code. Back

3. Davis says I’ve won Bull Run for us!!!! Rose was an exceptional spy and helped the Confederacy to win the First Battle of Bull Run. A few days before the battle, Rose was able to send a coded note to alert Davis about Union plans. This note caused Davis to send reinforcements to Manassas. On the 21st of July, the Confederate troops crushed the Union on the battlefield. The next day, the Confederate president sent a letter to Rose thanking her for her dedication. He credited her with winning the battle since, without her work, they most likely would not have been successful. Jefferson Davis was grateful towards Rose and credited her with winning Bull Run. Back

4. Pinkerton has me and Little Rose on house arrest. I swear, I’m innocent. Though Rose lived in the Union capitol and associated with many Union generals, she was very open about her support for the south. This led Allan Pinkerton to become suspicious of her. He ordered that Rose’s house would be under close surveillance, and soon she was caught. Pinkerton put Rose on house arrest. Later, when Little Rose was caught “socializing” with some of her mother’s friends, she too was placed on house arrest. On January 18, 1862, Rose and her daughter were transferred to the Old Capitol Prison. They were released about five months later on June 2nd under close custody. Rose and her daughter were photographed by Alexander Gardner while at the Old Capitol Prison. Back

5. Davis and Beauregard are sending me to England and France. Can’t wait! Soon after her release, Rose traveled to the Confederate capitol, where she received great praise from General Beauregard and President Davis for her bravery and loyalty. Davis appointed her to travel to France and England. Their hopes were that these countries would become their allies since the south provided goods for them, such as cotton. She was to socialize and recruit foreign soldiers to help the Confederacy. Years later, Rose longed to return home to America. With two thousand dollars worth of gold in her possession, she bordered the Condor, a blockade –runner headed for North Carolina in September, 1864. Unfortunately, they were spotted by a Union gunboat just off the coast of Wilmington, North Carolina. Desperate to escape, Rose fled the ship in a lifeboat, but the weather was terrible and the boat capsized. Rose was weighed down by her cache of gold and drowned. Back This is Cape Fear River in Wilmington, NC, where Rose drowned.