As the Civil War ground on, an underground Unionist movement flourished in the heart of the
Confederacy, led by an unlikely leader. Elizabeth Van Lew, a wealthy and well connected member of Richmond's elite, risked everything to help save the Union, skillfully directing this clandestine group and becoming General Ulysses S. Grant's spy in Richmond. Surrounded by a cadre of “slaves” secretly freed and working with her at the risk of their lives--and hers--Lizzie becomes a pivotal character in the narrative that reveals the complexity and horror of war and the possibility of ultimate redemption.
Based on an incredible true story, Lizzie's War revolves around a number of elements: the intrigue involved in Elizabeth's double life, her scheme to plant a former slave as her spy in the Jefferson Davis home, her secret romance with a Union prisoner, the dangerous work and conspiracies entailed in running a spy network for the Federal Government in the Confederate capital, terrifying flights to freedom engineered by Elizabeth for escaped prisoners and slaves, and ongoing Confederate surveillance, investigations and arrests of Unionists.
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Map: Civil War Richmond, VA |
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iv | |
| Miss Lizzie's War |
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| February 1862 |
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1 | (2) |
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3 | (23) |
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26 | (24) |
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50 | (19) |
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69 | (15) |
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84 | (23) |
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107 | (22) |
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129 | (25) |
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154 | (17) |
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171 | (18) |
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189 | (20) |
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209 | (18) |
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227 | (13) |
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240 | (14) |
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254 | (15) |
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269 | (21) |
| Author's Note |
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290 | (4) |
| Civil War and Richmond Chronology |
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294 | (2) |
| Selected Bibliography |
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296 | (2) |
| Book Group Discussion Guide |
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298 | (2) |
| About the Author |
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300 | |
Rosemary Agonito's first novel, Buffalo Calf Road Woman: The Story of a Warrior of the Little Bighorn , also based on a true story, won the prestigious 2006 Western Heritage Award for the Outstanding Western Novel. She has also authored five non-fiction books, many articles, and lectured widely on women's history and issues.
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