Rebecca Smith by Sofia Varela

Autobiography

804730 — 2018-05-07 16:11:55 UTC

I am a female spy representing the Union. I was born in Ohio during 1838. Now I am 23 years old and am proud to help defend the North. I started this job this year since the war has just started. Since the age of 12, the first time I have seen slavery in action, I've wanted to end it knowing the slaves could have learned to read, write and overall have a better life but instead are picking cotton and out in the fields all day, everyday. Now I am starting to be a well known name around the north. Currently I am located in Richmond, Virginia, the capitol city of the South and am undercover. My cover is a southerner that strongly believes in slavery. My role is very hard due to my strong opinion on ending slavery. I was raised not knowing much about slavery but now, since I am in the South I see it almost everywhere I go, it is horrible.

Job Description

915464 — 2018-05-09 15:07:15 UTC

I am a female spy for the North in 1861, and I'm currently 23 years old. My mission is to spy in Richmond, Virginia to find out information about the Confederacy and bring it back to the Union. My main job is to seek out any information the Confederacy has on what their plan of attack is. My job is not such a difficult task, because most people do not expect a woman to be a threat due to their vulnerability. As I once said, "They had many advantages over their male counterparts. Early in the war, Union and Confederate soldiers did not expect woman to engage in espionage. Consequently soldiers allowed woman and girls to travel across Union and Confederate lines without getting searched," (Judith Harper "Spies in Petticoats" Cobblestone).

What I wear and things I carry with me

804730 — 2018-05-09 15:27:38 UTC

You may be wondering what I do with all the information I receive. Well one technique I do is hide all my tools and information in my dress. I wear a hoop skirt most days, a hoop skirt is a skirt with a cage/hoop under the actual skirt/ fabric (shown above). The design is perfect for all the information I carry around every day. I've redesigned some things on my skirt though. One of those changes would be adding pockets on the inside of the design. Although it is uncomfortable, it is worth it. The information is key to winning the war. Without the information the Union would have no clue when the confederacy would attack or their approach on the attacks. the supplies I hide most of the time are a pen and paper, some times weapons, and since I have very good memory I don't have to look suspicious by writing down everything well the Confederate soldiers are around.

804730 — 2018-05-09 15:40:27 UTC

Bibliography

804730 — 2018-05-09 15:46:31 UTC

“Capital Cities of the Confederacy.” American Battlefield Trust, 3 Apr. 2018, www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/capital-cities-confederacy.

Chase, Loretta, and Susan Scott. “Friday Video: How to Sit in an 1860s Hoop Skirt.” Bed Time, Eighteenth Century Style, 13 Feb. 2015
“Civil War.” Mary Elizabeth Bowser, maryelizabethbowser.weebly.com/civil-war.html

“Capital Cities of the Confederacy.” American Battlefield Trust, 3 Apr. 2018, www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/capital-cities-confederacy.

Why I Became A Civil War Spy

915464 — 2018-05-09 15:52:42 UTC

I became a spy during the Civil War for various reasons. I became a spy because I wanted a way to help my side win, even though I couldn't fight in the war. The job was good pay, and although the risk of getting caught was a big factor, it was very hard to do so because they hardly searched woman and girls who were crossing border lines. My side needed all the help they could get, and it made me feel very important to be helping the North as much as I did.

804730 — 2018-05-09 16:12:24 UTC

Photo Credits

804730 — 2018-05-11 15:13:35 UTC

TwoNerdyHistoryGirls.com ---->

American Battlefield trust/ Learn/ Articles/ Capital Cities of the Confederacy
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How has my life been shaped by the Civil War?

915464 — 2018-05-11 15:16:02 UTC

The Civil War shaped my life by having to see both sides in pain and suffrage. The fate of the North is in my hands, and getting to see both sides of the story has helped me to remember why I'm doing this job and why I have to save the U.S.. Seeing the war from both angles has helped me realize how many people have to suffer before the Union can be one again, and how bad things had to get before it was possible for them to get better. For example, they made people work for 22 hour shifts, running on two hours of sleep, and most were only fed once a day with very little to eat. Seeing them think that this was okay up close, only made me work harder everyday.

Where I was located

915464 — 2018-05-13 16:32:37 UTC

I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and I had never seen slavery in action until I was 12 years old. I had always thought of slavery being about ten times less brutal than it actually turned out to be, so I hadn't realized how large of an issue slavery was until I had seen it in person. It made me realize how much I truly needed to fight for my side and equal rights for all people. It was inhumane for any human to be treated this poorly. I was set on becoming a spy, so they relocated me into the heart of the South, Richmond, Virginia. Most of my work has been in the confederate capitol building (shown on right) where the most information can get to me.

What the risks are

915464 — 2018-05-14 00:16:44 UTC

The risks of engaging in espionage during the Civil War are very high. Spies who were caught across border lines had many different punishments that they could receive, all of which were very brutal. Some of the punishments include getting sentenced to get hanged or spending lifetime or a a very long time in prison. A spy who got caught by the other side could be found and saved by someone on their side, but in this case they would, at least, lose their job and title as a spy.