The Spy Who Delivered: Elizabeth Van Lew’s Secret Postal Legacy

In the capital of the Confederacy, wealthy socialite Elizabeth Van Lew had a secret. She was one of the Union’s most effective spymasters. From her family’s antebellum mansion in Richmond, Van Lew built a sophisticated intelligence network sharing vital information with Union generals, including Ulysses S. Grant. After the war, she was rewarded with a presidential appointment as the first female postmaster of a major Southern city. In this role, she modernized the Richmond Post Office by introducing free city-wide mail delivery, installing collection boxes, and championing diversity by hiring women, African Americans, the city’s first Black letter carrier. Be sure to listen in as this episode uncovers the risks she took, the spy skills she used, and the legacy she left on both the Postal Service and American history.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.