Yankee Spy in Richmond: the Civil War Diary of \“crazy Bet\” Van Lew

Many civilians on both sides during the Civil War hoped to support the war effort as spies, but only a few actually became useful agents. One of the most effective-and least known-was a woman living in the heart of Confederate Richmond. Elizabeth Van Lew, called ‘Crazy Bet’ by her suspicious and condescending neighbours, maintained contact with Union authorities throughout most of the war and earned the thanks of General US Grant, among others, at the war’s end. The secret diary Van Lew kept during those years provides an unparalleled account of the life of a Civil War spy. Her sporadic notations reveal her fears, her triumphs, and the constant danger she faced in sending information through the lines to the Yankees while aiding the escape attempts of Union prisoners in Richmond.