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Mary bowser from slave to union spy extraordinaire
Mary Bowser (originally Mary Jane Richards, fl. 1846-1867) was a Union spy during the Civil War. She was an American former slave and worked in connection with Elizabeth Van Lew.
Contents
- Mary bowser from slave to union spy extraordinaire
- The secrets of mary bowser by lois leveen
- Early years
- The American Civil War
- Postwar life
- Untrue or unsubstantiated claims
- Popular culture representations
- Recognition
- References
The secrets of mary bowser by lois leveen
Early years
Mary Richards was likely born near Richmond, Virginia, and may have been born a slave of Eliza Baker and John Van Lew or their extended family.
The first record of Richards is her baptism, as "Mary Jane" at St. John's Church in Richmond, on May 17, 1846. Baptizing Richards at the Van Lew family church, rather than Richmond's First African Baptist Church, where the other Van Lew slaves were baptized, indicates that Baker took special notice of Richards. Baker's daughter, Elizabeth Van Lew, soon did the same by sending Richards north to school in Princeton, New Jersey or Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In 1855, Richards went to Liberia to join a missionary community, as arranged by Elizabeth Van Lew. By spring of 1860, Richards had returned to Richmond.
On April 16, 1861, Mary Richards wed Wilson Bowser. The ceremony took place just four days after Confederate troops opened fire on Fort Sumter, the first battle of the Civil War.
The American Civil War
When I open my eyes in the morning, I say to the servant, "What news, Mary?" and my caterer never fails! Most generally our reliable news is gathered from negroes, and they certainly show wisdom, discretion and prudence, which is wonderful.
From a position as a servant to Jefferson Davis's family in the Confederate White House, Mary Bowser served an important role in the spy ring organized by Elizabeth Van Lew. It is possible that Union military leaders such as Alfred Terry, Edward Ord, and Colonel S H Roberts benefited from Bowser's work. Although exactly what intelligence Bowser collected is as yet unknown, the value of Van Lew's ring was noted by Generals Benjamin Butler, Ulysses S. Grant, and George H. Sharpe.
Postwar life
Even just a few days after the fall of Richmond, Bowser worked as teacher to former slaves in the city.
Bowser gave at least two lectures in the North in 1865 about her education, travel to Liberia, and wartime exploits. In September, a reporter claimed that speaker Bowser and Anna Dickinson "might, indeed, easily be mistaken for twin sisters," likely referring to the strangeness of a woman speaking about political issues to a group. She protected her identity by using pseudonyms at both lectures, calling herself Richmonia Richards at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Manhattan on September 11 and Richmonia R. St. Pierre a week or two later at the African Methodist Episcopal Church on Bridge Street in Brooklyn. It is possible that more information about Bowser may be found by searching 19th-century Northern black papers for mention of more of her lectures.
Again using the name Mary J. Richards, she founded a freedmen's school in Saint Marys, Georgia in early 1867. Her school served day students, adult night students, and Sunday school students, all taught by herself.
In a June 1867 letter to the superintendent of education for the Georgia Freedmen's Bureau, she requested that he now refer to her as Mary J. R. Garvin. Though a later letter may imply that she intended to join her new husband in the West Indies after St. Mary's school closed, it has not yet been confirmed. After that date, there is no further record of Garvin.
Untrue or unsubstantiated claims
A number of claims made about Bowser are unsubstantiated, or even untrue. Many are embellishments of a June 1911 Harper's Monthly article, the first known publication of Bowser's name. Unfortunately, a number of modern publications have republished such claims, despite their intention to be non-fiction.
Popular culture representations
A novel by Lois M. Leveen, The Secrets of Mary Bowser, is based on Bowser's life.
Bowser's acts of espionage are also detailed in the play Lady Patriot written by Ted Lange. The play was produced by Mary Lange and premiered at the Hudson Backstage Theatre in Santa Monica, California. Chrystee Pharris, best known for her role of Simone on NBC's Passions, played the role of Bowser. The ensemble cast also included Zuri Alexander (Mary Bowser), Lou Beatty Jr. (Old Robert), Dr. Gordon Goodman (Jefferson Davis), Anne Johnstonbrown (Varina Davis), Paul Messinger (Judah P. Benjamin), Robert Pine (Mr. Slydell), and Connie Ventress (Elizabeth Van Lew).
A 1987 made-for-TV movie, A Special Friendship, was loosely based on Bowser and Van Lew's activities.
The heroine of An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole is based in part on Mary Bowser.
Recognition
Mary Elizabeth Bowser has been honored by the U.S. government with an induction into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame in Fort Huachuca, Arizona for her work in the war.