Portal:American Civil War/Selected biography/16

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Rose O'Neal Greenhow (1817–October 1, 1864) was a renowned Confederate spy. As a leader in Washington, D.C. society during the period prior to the American Civil War, she traveled in important political circles and cultivated friendships with presidents, generals, senators, and high-ranking military officers, using her connections to pass along key military information to the Confederacy at the start of the war. Born in the Port Tobacco, Maryland, as Maria Rosatta O'Neale and orphaned as a child, Greenhow was invited to live with her aunt in Washington, D.C. as a teenager. Her aunt ran a stylish boarding house at the Old Capitol building, and Greenhow was introduced to important figures in the Washington area. When she was a young woman, Greenhow was considered beautiful, educated, loyal, compassionate, and refined. Nicknamed "Wild Rose," many were surprised when she accepted a marriage proposal from Dr. Robert Greenhow. Greenhow served as her mentor during the early part of their marriage.