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The Most Hated Woman in Virginia

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Manage episode 476916346 series 2391367
Content provided by Southern Gothic Media LLC and Southern Gothic Media. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Southern Gothic Media LLC and Southern Gothic Media or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

Perched high on Church Hill above the James River once stood one of Richmond’s grandest homes—a mansion of wealth, refinement, and Southern prestige. But behind its stately white columns and sweeping staircases, something far more dangerous was unfolding.

For it was here, in the heart of the Confederate capital, that Elizabeth Van Lew—an elite Southern woman raised among Virginia’s most powerful families—launched a covert campaign to undermine the rebellion from within. Though she moved through society’s upper circles, Van Lew secretly loathed the Confederacy and used her privilege to orchestrate one of the most daring spy operations of the Civil War.

Her network included formerly enslaved individuals, Union sympathizers, and even a woman who posed as a servant inside the Confederate White House. And while her intelligence helped shape the Union’s military strategy and even aided in the escape of more than 100 Union officers from Libby Prison, her actions made her a pariah in the city she once called home.

By war’s end, Elizabeth Van Lew wasn’t hailed as a hero—she was vilified as a traitor. Branded “Crazy Bet,” her legacy was twisted, her sacrifices forgotten, and her name all but erased from Southern memory. Yet beneath the folklore lies the true story of a woman who risked everything for the Union—and helped change the course of history.

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Connect with Southern Gothic Media:

Advertise on this podcast: [email protected]

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288 episodes

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The Most Hated Woman in Virginia

Southern Gothic

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Manage episode 476916346 series 2391367
Content provided by Southern Gothic Media LLC and Southern Gothic Media. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Southern Gothic Media LLC and Southern Gothic Media or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

Perched high on Church Hill above the James River once stood one of Richmond’s grandest homes—a mansion of wealth, refinement, and Southern prestige. But behind its stately white columns and sweeping staircases, something far more dangerous was unfolding.

For it was here, in the heart of the Confederate capital, that Elizabeth Van Lew—an elite Southern woman raised among Virginia’s most powerful families—launched a covert campaign to undermine the rebellion from within. Though she moved through society’s upper circles, Van Lew secretly loathed the Confederacy and used her privilege to orchestrate one of the most daring spy operations of the Civil War.

Her network included formerly enslaved individuals, Union sympathizers, and even a woman who posed as a servant inside the Confederate White House. And while her intelligence helped shape the Union’s military strategy and even aided in the escape of more than 100 Union officers from Libby Prison, her actions made her a pariah in the city she once called home.

By war’s end, Elizabeth Van Lew wasn’t hailed as a hero—she was vilified as a traitor. Branded “Crazy Bet,” her legacy was twisted, her sacrifices forgotten, and her name all but erased from Southern memory. Yet beneath the folklore lies the true story of a woman who risked everything for the Union—and helped change the course of history.

Want to Listen to Southern Gothic Ad-Free?

Connect with Southern Gothic Media:

Advertise on this podcast: [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  continue reading

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