Great old story. "Crazy Bet", as she was known, was infamous. Carrying whatever intelligence she could gather to the Federal officers in the field. Sometimes personally. Butler and Grant in particular. And that is a true story about here "slave" Mary Bowser working in The Confederate White House. As is the entire article. Elizabeth Van Lew kept the family residence at the crest of Church Hill even after her hardware merchant father passed. She was so hated in Richmond society that the house was demolished after the war. Bellevue Model School sits on that property today. A terraced drop down to the flood plain of the James River. Within walking distance of Chimbarazzo and St. Johns Church, just east of Rocketts Landing. Elizabeth Van Lew is buried in Shockoe Cemetery in a perpetually desecrated grave. Some Richmonders will never forget.

Keith