Message in Her Hair

The First Battle of Bull Run might not have been a smashing Confederate victory without the flowing curls of Rose Greenhow. On July 9, 1861 she hid a message in her lovely tresses; when she combed out her hair for Rebel officers, they learned that Union troops were about to march on Richmond. A second message contained the invaders' strength and marching orders. Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard later said that Greenhow "lived in a house within rifle range of the White House." Her house became the heart of a Southern spy network, and at the height of her activities Greenhow directed more than 50 agents.