On this day, Aug. 23, in 1861, Allan Pinkerton, head of the new secret service agency of the federal government, placed Confederate spy Rose O’Neal Greenhow under arrest in Washington, D.C.
Born in Montgomery County, Greenhow became a leader in political circles and one of the most renowned spies of the Civil War, using her connections to extract key information. Jefferson Davis credited her with winning the battle of Manassas.
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Pinkerton imprisoned her in her home and then sent her to the Old Capitol Prison. Still, Greenhow continued to pass information on by hiding messages with her 8-year-old daughter or in a woman’s hair bun. She won her release but was exiled, and she traveled to Europe to lobby on behalf of the South and promote her book about her imprisonment.
On her return, her vessel ran aground near North Carolina. Rose took a rowboat to avoid capture, but the boat capsized and she was dragged to her death by the weight of the gold she received for her book.
— Scott McCabe
