F.W.E. Lohmann Elizabeth Van Lew's Civil War Spy: A Story of Heroism Displayed by the Richmond Underground

I highly recommend this book. F.W.E Lohmann, Elizabeth Van Lew’s Civil War Spy is a must read for anyone who is interested in learning the real story behind the most successful clandestine operation in the American Civil War. F.W.E. Lohmann was one of Van Lew’s most essential agents using his grocery wagons to secretly transport runaway slaves, escaped Union prisoners and Rebel deserters across enemy lines – often with vital military intelligence.Author, Dr. Virginia Lohmann Nodturft, the great-great-granddaughter of F.W.E. cuts through the many myths and misconceptions surrounding the Richmond Underground and provides specifics on the accomplishments of the F.W.E and others, such as passing encrypted messages to General Ulysses S. Grant, the Libby Prison Break where over 100 Union soldiers escaped, and the Dahlgren Affair. Dr. Nodturft backs up her revelations, many presented for the first time, with hard evidence that her family has preserved over the years within the Lohmann Archives.A committed abolitionist as well as a Unionist, F.W.E. was an entrepreneurial problem solver who helped in developing the on-the-ground logistics, building the needed supporting infrastructure, such as secret rooms in the Van Lew mansion and other safe houses for hiding escaped slaves and Union soldiers, as well as providing their critical transport to safety – all while putting his life, and the lives of his family in grave danger. Sadly, near the end of the Civil War, F.W.E. was set up and sent to Caste Thunder Prison, the most notorious of Rebel prisons in Richmond. Despite ongoing torture, he never gave up the names of the other Unionist spies.F.W.E. is a true American hero.Stephen RomaineAuthor, Secret Army Behind Enemy Lines

This is an inspiring true story about a German immigrant, the author's ancestor, F. W. E. Lohmann, a man who served as part of a anti-slavery spy ring in Richmond, VA, during our Civil War.Filled with gripping narrative and illustrated with photographs of scores of historical artifacts, this is a don't-miss book for Civil War buffs, a monograph which dramatically outgrew the original manuscript on which I advised the author and friend, Dr. Virginia Lohmann Nodhturft, many years ago. It will deserve being referenced in future histories of this period.The book begins with details of the dramatic escape from the infamous Libby Prison, an escape aided by Lohmann and others in the Richmond spy ring run by socialite Elizabeth Van Lew, a ring that sent valuable information to the Union military and served as part of the Underground Railroad that helped fugitive slaves reach freedom in the North. The activities of F. W. E. Lohmann, Elisabeth Van Lew, and their colleagues continued throughout much of the War, although near the end of the terrible conflagration, Lohmann was captured, imprisoned, and tortured in the Castle Thunder prison. Subsequent efforts to have him compensated for his heroism and devotion are detailed.The book succeeds on several levels: as a history of the anti-slavery heroics of some Southerners, as a repository for scores of photographs of historical artifacts, as a tribute to Dr. Virginia Lohmann Nodhturft's German immigrant ancestor and his strong moral character, discussed in depth, and as a labor of love from a member of her generation to preserve the record of the heroism of that brave generation, including many recent arrivals to the United States, that lost so many lives and livelihoods in preserving the Union and ending slavery.

This book is highly recommended for Civil War enthusiasts, history students and professors. What was fascinating about the book is the way the woman hid the secret message in hollow eggs, petticoats and bloomers to transport them to various stations before they were transported to General Grant, Kilpatrick and other generals in the field. The exact code and how it was interpreted was extraordinarily amazing. The interpretation of the secret code is not seen in any other Civil War books. The risks these two spies and members of the Richmond Underground undertook to preserve the Union and to help slaves escape to safety was unbelievable. I would highly recommend this book without reservation.Nathan Zeringue

I have been looking for a book on the Civil War written about the North. Since I am from the South and my great grandfather was a courier for General Lee I heard many stories from the southern point of view. When I came across this book I found it so interesting even though it was not what I was originally looking for. If you enjoy spy stories and Civil War history, this book is for you. It shares the life of FWE Lohmann, a secret agent in Richmond , Va. who took extraordinary risks to transport black families across the border to safety and also hiding escaped Union prisoners. Along with his role in developing the underground railroad and getting secret messages to General Grant it also discusses a secret code, interpreted for the first time in history, developed by Elizabeth Van Lew that was used to send messages to Grant and other Generals regarding troop size, strength and location. I really liked this book.

This book is a must for Civil War enthusiasts both historians and lay persons. It was so interesting reading about FWE Lohmann transported slaves across the border to safety. The risks he took were unbelievable. So sad to read how he was caught and betrayed by a spy imposter and was thrown into Castle Thunder Prison and tortured for transporting the slaved through the underground railroad. Reading the exact code and how it was interpreted that was used by the spies to transport secret messages to the Generals Grant, Kilpatrick and other cannot be found in any other Civil War Book. Without reservation I recommend this book to history students and professors.Dr. Inez V. Joseph