https://padlet.com/924365/f0vb3yl4nv3v Female Spy Mary Thompson en-us 2018-05-08 15:46:00 UTC 2025-10-31 16:02:16 UTC hello@padlet.com 794462 https://padlet.com/924365/f0vb3yl4nv3v/wish/258971649  I was a former slave in Alabama, owned by a richer man named John Stevens. He wasn't the kindest man, but was much better than some slave owners that I had seen at auctions. I worked for the man for five years, from 1852 to 1857. Later on he grew ill and died, which set my family and me free. Later on Sarah Edmonds suggested that I help her spy on the Union. Me being a former slave, really wanted to help fight for other's freedom, for I had known what it was like to be owned by another person and work all day without pay for them. So I decided to help Sarah and the Union by spying on the Confederacy and by pretending to be a slave for a confederate general.]]> 2018-05-08 15:54:40 UTC https://padlet.com/924365/f0vb3yl4nv3v/wish/258971649 924365 https://padlet.com/924365/f0vb3yl4nv3v/wish/258974627 One of my greatest accomplishments was being a successful spy and bringing a lot of useful information to the union. I got this information through spying on the general. I listened in to conversations with other soldiers and scurried away quickly when I knew he was coming. It was hard, I had to be a slave again although I was just set free. If I did not follow the generals exact commands I was yelled at and stricken with harsh words. That was not easy for me to do and I got valuable information to the union which contributed to winning the war. Another great accomplishment I have is being able to run away from general Lee and getting back to my family. I had to walk hundreds of miles to get back and say more information to the government I could not fit in the letters I have written.  ]]> 2018-05-08 16:00:40 UTC https://padlet.com/924365/f0vb3yl4nv3v/wish/258974627 924365 https://padlet.com/924365/f0vb3yl4nv3v/wish/259659412 As you know I now worked as a slave for General Robert E. Lee. I honestly never thought I'd be back to revisit my old life as a slave. I almost couldn't believe that I was doing this, but I was doing it for the Union and all those slaves who were suffering. So what I did was I listened to General Lee's conversations with others to try and collect as much information as possible and send it back to the Union so that they could defeat the Confederacy more easily. I also shared information and compared it with the information that I received from Sarah to get the most accurate answers as possible. We wrote in invisible ink which can only be read if you apply heat to it, which you can do by ironing, so fortunately because I was a slave I had easy access to irons. It was hard being a slave again, it's like people can't take care of themselves. Anyways I continued on spying for the Union for about a year and a half. Eventually the General began to notice that there was a leak in information in the Confederate White House, but didn't expect me until about a month or two later.]]> 2018-05-10 15:20:42 UTC https://padlet.com/924365/f0vb3yl4nv3v/wish/259659412 924365 https://padlet.com/924365/f0vb3yl4nv3v/wish/259659576 I had to leave my family in Richmond, but I got a note that they had gotten to the north. They were staying in Massachusetts far way from where I was. I was away for 1 1/2 years before I had to leave. I  missed my children so much and was saddened that  they had grown up half their life without their mother. They knew that their mother was fighting for them so they could have a better life than me. My kids and husband wrote many letters for me while I was gone although I only received a few I had to sneak from the mail box.]]> 2018-05-10 15:21:06 UTC https://padlet.com/924365/f0vb3yl4nv3v/wish/259659576 794462 https://padlet.com/924365/f0vb3yl4nv3v/wish/259675722 Ah yes later on the general became suspicious of me. I didn't feel like I should leave quite yet though, I wanted to continue providing for the Union. I felt obligated to continue being a spy here, even if he killed me. However later on Sarah sent me a letter saying that it would probably be for the best if I escaped the Confederate White House to the Union again before anyone could kill me so that I could pass on the information that I had that I hadn't shared yet. Reluctantly I agreed to leave, so next week, June 17th 1864 I escaped in the middle of the night. After fleeing I was able to get the rest of the information to the Union successfully and my actions were greatly appreciated by them. The Confederate General Lee. was still pretty mad, and I was later found and shot by the Confederacy. I know it sounds bad, but I truly believe that my actions were worth the trouble and I am glad that I was given the chance to provide for the Union.]]> 2018-05-10 15:55:21 UTC https://padlet.com/924365/f0vb3yl4nv3v/wish/259675722 924365 https://padlet.com/924365/f0vb3yl4nv3v/wish/259676800 every day was packed with things to do like the laundry, making extravagant meals for the general, and cleaning the house. That was a regular day. We woke up at 4:00 in the morning to start making breakfast. There were always a lot of leftovers that we had to throw away. If you ate any of it, like one of the other slaves you were given a beating. we went to bed at 12:00 after have finished cleaning the dishes from dinner and finished cleaning the house. Some days we had to work harder than others, when the general was meeting with other confederates to celebrate one victory. We had to make mountains of food working for practically the whole day. ]]> 2018-05-10 15:57:56 UTC https://padlet.com/924365/f0vb3yl4nv3v/wish/259676800 794462 https://padlet.com/924365/f0vb3yl4nv3v/wish/259682754 My life changed in the civil war because I decided to fight for the union and I risked my life doing so. The war truly changed how I thought, even though I was working as a slave in the war and had worked as a slave before. Becoming a spy was a dangerous choice, but I'm glad that I was able to contribute well to my side.]]> 2018-05-10 16:11:57 UTC https://padlet.com/924365/f0vb3yl4nv3v/wish/259682754 924365 https://padlet.com/924365/f0vb3yl4nv3v/wish/259682898 One day I went to the market to fetch some bread and vegetables for general Lee, but was really sending a letter to the union. I ran quickly to grab all of the food that was needed, and ran over to the post office. I could see people staring at me and thinking I was a crazy slave. But I still ran over to the post office delivering my letter written from the invisible ink. The postman checked it over making sure it was not dangerous for the confederacy and slipped it into the posting slot. I walked out trying to contain my excitement for I had just given the union very important information that could save lives of many people. I finally felt important and that was the day I started to feel like a real spy]]> 2018-05-10 16:12:23 UTC https://padlet.com/924365/f0vb3yl4nv3v/wish/259682898 794462 https://padlet.com/924365/f0vb3yl4nv3v/wish/259995558 Nix, Elizabeth. “6 People You Didn't Know Were WWII Spies.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 11 Nov. 2014, www.history.com/news/history-lists/6-people-you-didnt-know-were-wwii-spies.
“Biography.” Mary Elizabeth Bowser, maryelizabethbowser.weebly.com/biography.html.
“Spies.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/civilwar/spies.htm.
Alas,I Am Sorry to Say Many Are Interred without Even a Prayer. Washington D.C., 23 Oct. 1862.http://blogs.lib.unc.edu/civilwar/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/18621023_01.jpg
Dowdey, Clifford. “Robert E. Lee.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 12 Jan. 2018, www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-E-Lee.
“Civil War Spies - Lessons - Tes Teach.” Tes, www.tes.com/lessons/eNLTRLgVWA4Nwg/civil-war-spies.
Benjamin, Frances Benjamin. Black Woman Working in the White House Kitchen.  Washington D.C., 1892. https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2011/02/03/copy_of_bo_es__3__custom-15aeee850690598a07aade2eb9b1d73ff1407d7f-s800-c15.jpg
“Union Army.” HistoryNet, www.historynet.com/union-army.
Ball, Edward. “Retracing Slavery's Trail of Tears.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 1 Nov. 2015, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/slavery-trail-of-tears-180956968/.]]> 2018-05-11 15:55:36 UTC https://padlet.com/924365/f0vb3yl4nv3v/wish/259995558