| Waul's Pride Chapter #49 O.C.R. History |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Rose O'Neal Greenhow was a 40 year old widow, a mother of four and a
passionate secessionist when the War Between the States broke out. She ran an
elaborate spy ring for the Confederacy from her home on 16th Street in Washington,
D.C. Among her accomplishments, Mrs. Greenhow successfully sent a ten word
secret message to General Beauregard that President Jefferson Davis later credited
with helping to win the battle of Manassas. Following her arrest for spying by the
United States War department, Mrs. Greenhow was confined in her home and then
in Old Capital Prison in Washington D for five months with her 8 year old daughter.
After being paroled and agreeing to never return to Washington, Mrs. Greenhow
was greeted by cheering crowds in Virginia. She was received warmly by President
Davis. Mrs. Greenhow continued to send messages to help the Confederacy by
means of cryptic notes traveling in unlikely places like the inside of a woman's hair
bun. Her next mission took Mrs. Greenhow on a tour of Britain and France as a
propagandist for the Confederate cause. Two months after her arrival in London,
her memoirs were published. The book enjoyed a wide sales following throughout
the British Isles. In Europe, Mrs. Greenhow found a strong sympathy for the South,
especially among the ruling classes. She was received at the court of Queen Victoria
in England and the court of Napoleon III in France. In 1864, after a year abroad
Mrs. Greenhow boarded a British blockade-runner, the Condor, to take her home.
Just prior to arriving at her destination, the vessel ran aground at the mouth of the
Cape Fear River near Wilmington, NC. To avoid the pursuing Union gunboat, Mrs.
Greenhow attempted to flee in a rowboat but the small boat capsized. Due to the
weight of the gold sewn into her dress, royalties from her book, she was dragged
under the water.
In October 1864, Rose O'Neal Greenhow was buried with full military honors in
Oakdale Cemetery, Wilmington, NC. Her coffin was wrapped in the Confederate
flag and carried by Confederate troops. The marble cross marking her grave bears
the epitaph:
Mrs. Rose O'N. Greenhow, a bearer of dispatches
to the Confederate Government.
passionate secessionist when the War Between the States broke out. She ran an
elaborate spy ring for the Confederacy from her home on 16th Street in Washington,
D.C. Among her accomplishments, Mrs. Greenhow successfully sent a ten word
secret message to General Beauregard that President Jefferson Davis later credited
with helping to win the battle of Manassas. Following her arrest for spying by the
United States War department, Mrs. Greenhow was confined in her home and then
in Old Capital Prison in Washington D for five months with her 8 year old daughter.
After being paroled and agreeing to never return to Washington, Mrs. Greenhow
was greeted by cheering crowds in Virginia. She was received warmly by President
Davis. Mrs. Greenhow continued to send messages to help the Confederacy by
means of cryptic notes traveling in unlikely places like the inside of a woman's hair
bun. Her next mission took Mrs. Greenhow on a tour of Britain and France as a
propagandist for the Confederate cause. Two months after her arrival in London,
her memoirs were published. The book enjoyed a wide sales following throughout
the British Isles. In Europe, Mrs. Greenhow found a strong sympathy for the South,
especially among the ruling classes. She was received at the court of Queen Victoria
in England and the court of Napoleon III in France. In 1864, after a year abroad
Mrs. Greenhow boarded a British blockade-runner, the Condor, to take her home.
Just prior to arriving at her destination, the vessel ran aground at the mouth of the
Cape Fear River near Wilmington, NC. To avoid the pursuing Union gunboat, Mrs.
Greenhow attempted to flee in a rowboat but the small boat capsized. Due to the
weight of the gold sewn into her dress, royalties from her book, she was dragged
under the water.
In October 1864, Rose O'Neal Greenhow was buried with full military honors in
Oakdale Cemetery, Wilmington, NC. Her coffin was wrapped in the Confederate
flag and carried by Confederate troops. The marble cross marking her grave bears
the epitaph:
Mrs. Rose O'N. Greenhow, a bearer of dispatches
to the Confederate Government.
| The Texas Society Order of Confederate Rose is named in honor of this great lady of the South. |
| Rose O'Neil Greenhow |
Rose and daughter while in prison.
Click to purchase.