Pauline Cushman: Union Spy

Pauline Cushman, a gypsy woman of great beauty, became famous as a Union spy during the Civil War.

An actress who pretended to be sympathetic to the South, she used her position with a traveling show to secretly work for the Union, moving about freely to keep an eye on Confederate troop movements.

In 1863, she was caught with compromising papers on her person, and tried and sentenced to be executed.  Fortunately, Pauline was saved from hanging by the arrival of Union troops, and made it safely through the war.

After the war, she traveled about in full Union uniform and gave lectures about her experiences.  Eventually, she returned to acting and often appeared in front of audiences in the costume of an Amazon.

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