I’m often amazed at the stories that exist in history. One of my favorite parts of research is reading first-hand accounts of people who lived through the era I’m writing about. For this book, a lot of my characters’ adventures are based on the first-hand accounts of Belle Boyd and Rose Greenhow. Many of Evelyn’s thoughts on how and why the war started are reflected in the contemporary letters and documents of an array of Southerners at that time.

Evelyn shares some adventures with Belle, most notably those first scenes when the Union Army occupies Martinsburg. Belle gives an account of what she saw and how her family felt that day. Her book Belle Boyd in Camp and Prison gives a detailed account of how Belle shot and killed one of the men that broke into her home and how the Federal Soldiers tried to burn it. Belle also tells stories of hiding supplies under her skirts. Belle’s flamboyant personality and loyalty to her cause show up in Alice and her determination to be a spy. All of these exploits, though historians believe Belle’s accounts may have been exaggerated, made for great adventures for my story.

Margret Greenman is based on Rose O’Neal Greenhow, renowned Confederate spy in Washington. Her account of Detective Pinkerton (the man I based Detective Peterson on) and the search of her home were elements I weaved into the story. Mrs. Greenhow tells about a young companion of hers who happened to be in the house when Mr. Pinkerton came to arrest her. Rose stuffed papers into the young woman’s stockings, and strangely, the friend was allowed to leave in the wee hours of the morning. Mrs. Greenhow also gives a detailed account of her time in the Old Capitol prison, and I used several of Rose’s personal opinions as dialogue for Margret Greenman. You can find Rose’s full story in her book, My Imprisonment and the First Year of Abolition Rule at Washington.

Evelyn’s first day of nursing is inspired by the account Louisa May Alcott gives in Hospital Sketches, and Evelyn’s reaction to washing the men matches how Louisa felt that day. I also used the US Central Intelligence Agency’s report on historical espionage during the Civil War, which gave insights into how Rose Greenhow hid and delivered information, including hiding coded messages in mundane letters like the ones Evelyn burned, the message transports on the Doctor Line, and how she continually found ways to send and receive information even while under guard.

The Fishback Inn is a real place where Belle Boyd stayed with her family and served as a nurse in Front Royal. McClellan’s army did create Camp Griffin during the time Samuel is there, and across the Chain Bridge, the Benvenue house was used as a hospital under General Winfield. There was also a skirmish with a survey team in Lewinsville.

The Washington Infirmary first cared for the poor before becoming a military hospital. It burned on November 3, 1861 and was rebuilt as the Judiciary Square Hospital. The cause of the fire is unknown.

Those are the main elements I put into the story, though there are several others (like the New Albany Journal’s report on women spies). If you are interested in learning more about the real life women who did some amazing things during the Civil War, I recommend Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbott. She weaves the historical lives of Belle, Rose, and others into a tale of intrigue.

Thank you for taking this trip back into history with me. Isn’t life full of so many amazing adventures? It’s fun to use them to spin tales and add a little authenticity to my characters and their stories. It’s one of the many things that makes this writing adventure so much fun!