Mary Richards’s heart was pounding. She raised her fist to rap on the door of the mansion. For several seconds, everything was silent. Then the door began to creak open. Her next mission was about to begin.
Throughout much of the Civil War (1861-65), Richards had been spying on the enemy: the Southern
Spying for the North was especially meaningful for Richards. She was black and had been born enslaved in Richmond. The 24-year-old would do anything she could to help the Union forces win the war.
Gaining entrance to the enemy’s headquarters was going to be tricky. When the door to the house opened, she pretended to be a washerwoman and asked if the household had any laundry. After being told to wait, Richards found herself in a room that appeared to be Davis’s study. Quickly, she began searching the drawers of a cabinet for any information that might help the Union Army.