Wild Rose Research Papers

Rose O’Neal Greenhow, also known as Wild Rose or Rebel Rose, was a Confederate supporter and spy during the American Civil War in the mid-1800s. Rose was born around 1813 or 1814. Her birth was never officially recorded, so no one knows for sure when her birthday was. She was born into a large slave-holding family in Montgomery County, Maryland. Out of the five daughters in her family, she was the third-born.
Early in her life, her father was murdered by his African American slave. As a result, the newly orphaned Rose was sent with one of her sisters to live with her aunt in Washington, D.C. There she attended a private school run by her aunt in the Old Capitol building. There in D.C. with her aunt, she met many important people and

Soon after, she was recruited as a spy for the Confederate States of America. Because of her good reputation in D.C., she was not immediately suspected and was able to gather information more easily than someone who might not have had social ties. In July 1861 she forwarded information regarding the movement of soldiers towards Manassas, Virginia. Her report informed the Confederate military of the Union soldiers’ advance and helped them in the outcome of the First Battle of Bull Run. Because of her aid in the battle, she was arrested that August by the head of the Union secret service and put under house arrest at Fort Greenhow, the name later given to her home as it was used as a holding space for suspects and criminals under house arrest. However, she continued to send information even after her confinement and after her imprisonment at the Old Capitol Prison in January of 1862. In March, she was exiled to the South where she was welcomed as a hero. She sailed to Europe as an informal agent for the Confederacy. Unfortunately, she drowned on October 1, 1864 at the age of 51 on her voyage home to North America because her boat was heavy laden with an abundance of gold and other riches from European