Essay On Civil War Spies

Imagine rushing out of your set location on which you were to gain information to take back to your base. The rush of adrenaline coursing through your veins as you try to seem as nonchalant and not gain any unwanted attention to yourself. This is what many spies experienced during the Civil War. There are many people who are very well known for being spies during the Civil War. With the men in the families fighting, many women volunteered to spy to help out their part of the country. To make sure that the other side did not know anything, both the Union and the South used many techniques and codes to keep their plans safe. From the different spies, to how women helped out, and the different codes and techniques used, spies played a great part in how the Civil war turned out. One of the most famously know spies from the Civil war is Belle Boyd. Belle was born in 1839, as a slave on the

During the Civil War, women spies were very successful at their jobs for a great deal of reasons. They were perfect for the role of spy because women were easily trusted and viewed as non-threatening by soldiers who, would often let their guard down around them. Men didn’t expect women would get involved in such a dangerous job, so women spies often went undetected during the early part of the Civil War. Women often gathered information about the enemy’s plans, troop size, fortifications and supplies on scraps of paper or fabric and then sewed them into their blouses or rolled them into their hair. If they were to smuggle goods such as morphine, ammunition or weapons, they often attached them to the frame of their hoop skirts or hid them in baskets and inside dolls. Most female spies were typically young, white well-to-do, unmarried, attractive, charming, intelligent, and quick-witted. All of these skills were desirable and needed characteristics when getting information from soldiers. With the great success of women spies, it only lasted for the beginning part of the