Once located on the south side of Grace Street, between 23rd & 24th, this
beautiful mansion was the home to Elizabeth Van Lew, a Union spy in Richmond
during the Civil War. Her home was reputed to be the meeting place for other
Richmond Unionists, as well as a hiding place for escaped prisoners. Van Lew
made little effort to hide her Union proclivities, though why she was not
apprehended along with other known Unionists is not known. After the war, she
was appointed postmistress of Richmond by U. S. Grant, then President. She was
resented in Richmond, and died a destitute woman - her large fortune having been
expended in her wartime spy efforts. She is buried in Shockoe cemetery under a
large boulder donated by "Boston friends." Her home was demolished in
1911, and Bellevue Elementary School now stands in its place.
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
4/17/1861; slave of Elizabeth
Van Lew has been arrested for having a pass out of date |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
7/29/1861;
condemnation of two ladies, living on Church Hill, who are attending the
Yankee wounded [Elizabeth Van Lew and her mother] |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
9/23/1861; Elizabeth Van Lew is renting a
residence next door to her house |
|
Richmond
Whig |
1/2/1862; notice from John N. Van
Lew (E. Van Lew's brother) that the partnership of Van Lew, Taylor & Co. has
been dissolved, and the business will now be conducted solely in Van Lew's
name. |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
1/6/1862; Elizabeth Van Lew’s mother adv for a good cook |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
8/7/1862; “Mrs.
Eliza L. Van Lew” on Church Hill adv to hire cook, washer, ironer &
seamstress |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/1/1862;
Elizabeth Van Lew adv. For strayed cow |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
12/18/1862; 2
vacant lots for sale, north side of Marshall near 23rd. Owned by
Mrs. Eliza. L. Van Lew |
|
Richmond
Whig |
2/11/1863;
Elizabeth Van Lew’s stable (corner 23rd and Grace) burns down |
|
RG 109,
Ch. 9, Vol. 199½, p. 68 |
2/15/1863; Letter from T. P. Turner,
commanding Libby Prison, requesting that Van Lew stop providing meals for a
certain prisoner |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
9/19/1863; Mary C. Van Lew (related to E. L.
Van Lew?) arrested and fined for letting her slave go at large |
|
Report
of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War |
1863; prisoner's account of harsh treatment in
Richmond. Notes that while at the General Hospital (GH#1) he was
well-treated; at the tobacco warehouse he was not. Also notes that "a
lady named Van Lew" helped provide for him while in prison until she
was stopped by prison authorities |
|
Official
Records, Ser. I, Vol. XXXIII, pp. 519-521 |
1/30/1864-2/5/1864; The only remaining
war-time dispatch from Elizabeth Van Lew to Gen. Benj. Butler (USA);
discusses situation in Richmond and troop movements |
|
National
Archives, RG 109, Ch. 6, Vol. 364, p. 21 |
3/11/1864; Carrington gives
attention to the case of Private Van Lew [Elizabeth Van Lew's brother]. It
seems that Priv. Van Lew was attempting to be discharged from the service at
Chimborazo |
|
Richmond
Whig |
7/28/1864; notice that John Van Lew
has deserted to the Yankees |
|
Richmond
Whig |
7/29/1864; more details on the
desertion of John Van Lew - notes that he vanished near Studley, during the
Battle of Cold Harbor |
|
Van Lew Papers,
Virginia Historical Society |
various dates; several items from Elizabeth Van
Lew, including a note from Benjamin Butler and a pass to visit prisoners
signed by Lt. Todd (Lincoln's Brother-in-law) |
|
New
York Times |
3/29/1881;
Elizabeth Van Lew responds to criticism regarding her visit to the White
House |
|
New York
Times |
7/9/1883;
Elizabeth Van Lew has been given a clerkship in the Post Office Department
in Washington DC |
|
Richmond
Daily Dispatch |
7/17/1883; "The Richmond Spy,"
excellent description of Elizabeth Van Lew's efforts and anecdotes about
the Richmond spy ring, Libby escape, etc. Extensive mention of Erasmus
Ross, Libby's clerk as a Van Lew spy. |
|
New
York Times |
12/9/1888;
Elizabeth Van Lew is asking President Harrison to make her a Collector of
Customs and custodian of the Customs House |
|
National
Tribune |
4/20/1893, 4/27/1893, 5/4/1893; excerpts from
accounts of a Federal scout describing his encounter with John Van Lew,
Elizabeth's brother, at Cold Harbor, in which John Van Lew tells the scout
that if he can get a message to her, she will provide information from
Richmond. Also accounts meeting with a fleeing employee of John Van Lew,
in order not to serve in the Confederate army |
|
National
Tribune |
9/28/1899; “A Union Man in Richmond” part eight of serialized account.
Describes the capture and execution of Timothy Webster, the Libby Prison
escape (mentions prisoners being aided by Van Lew, and good feeling amongst
the Unionists toward her), a shooting of a prisoner at Libby, “the clerk” of
Libby being involved in trading with the prisoners (Ross), and being shot at
while near Locust Alley. St. Charles Hotel mentioned. |
|
Richmond
Chancery Court Records, Will Book No. 7, p. 419 |
2/29/1900, 6/19/1900, 9/20/1900; the Last Will
and Testament of Elizabeth Van Lew, with two codicils |
|
New
York Times |
7/28/1900;
Elizabeth Van Lew is critically ill. |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
9/25/1900; Elizabeth Van Lew is near death |
|
New
York Times |
9/26/1900;
Obituary for Elizabeth Van Lew, notes that she was 83 years old |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
9/26/1900; Elizabeth Van Lew has died, will be
buried Friday. Details on relatives and friends attending as well as
details on her home |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
9/27/1900; Elizabeth Van Lew's funeral will be
held tomorrow; has been postponed to allow her relatives to arrive |
|
New
York Times |
9/30/1900;
paragraph describing Elizabeth Van Lew’s will – notes that her manuscript
has been given to John Phillips Reynolds of Boston, and that her house was
once very nice, “but is now much dilapidated.” |
|
New
York Times |
10/25/1900;
Elizabeth Van Lew’s personal property will be sent to Boston to be auctioned
off. Also notes that a grave marker will be placed over her grave in Shockoe
Cemetery noting her wartime service |
|
New
York Times |
10/28/1900; notes
the discovery of a secret room in Elizabeth Van Lew’s house. |
|
National
Tribune |
11/15/1900; description of Elizabeth Van Lew's
secret room which has recently been found |
|
National Tribune |
7/4/1901; Van Lew mansion to become
a club house |
|
Harper's Monthly Magazine (June 1911),
pp. 86-99. |
Beymer, William Gilmore. "Miss Van Lew." |
|
A Chatauqua Boy, in '61 and Afterward
(1912),
pp. 54-64. |
Parker, David B. (72nd NY), Parker relates that
he was sent to the Van Lew house on April 3rd, 1865 to provide her
protection. Van Lew invites him to dinner where he meets several
"prominent Confederate officials", including Erasmus Ross, clerk
at Libby Prison. Continues with post-war details of Van Lew's service as
postmistress of Richmond. |
|
Winchester
Evening Star |
9/10/1913; decent account of Elizabeth Van Lew
and her spying efforts in Richmond |
|
Thomas
McNiven recollections |
no date; highly dubious account of McNiven's
part in the Van Lew spy ring - names prominent Confederates as agents |
