Wild Rose

Archival Summary & Scope

Ann Blackman's biography, *Wild Rose*, presents an unforgettable portrait of Rose O’Neale Greenhow, a remarkable Civil War figure. A glittering Washington hostess and intrepid Confederate spy, Greenhow risked everything for her cause. Born into a slave-holding family, she became an influential socialite in Washington D.C., intimate with figures like John C. Calhoun and Dolley Madison. With the outbreak of the Civil War, Greenhow transformed into a daring spy, providing crucial intelligence that impacted the First Battle of Bull Run. Her spycraft led to arrest by Allan Pinkerton and imprisonment. Undeterred, she regained her freedom and later journeyed to Europe to plead the Confederate cause. Drawing on newly discovered diaries and contemporary accounts, Blackman crafts an intimate, thrilling narrative that reads like a novel.