Laura Ratcliffe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Laura Ratcliffe April 28, 1836 |
| Died | August 3, 1923 (aged 87) |
| Spouse | Milton Hanna (m. 1890–1897) |
| Espionage activity | |
| Allegiance | Confederate States of America |
Laura Ratcliffe (March 28, 1836, in Fairfax, Virginia – August 3, 1923, in Herndon, Virginia[1]) was a Confederate States of America spy. Laura's home in Herndon[2] was sometimes used as a headquarters by the Confederate raider John Mosby. Mosby gave Laura thousands of Federal Greenbacks to hide in her home. She warned him when Union troops came looking for him, saving his life. Laura Ratcliffe was also a friend of Major General J. E. B. Stuart, who gave her several gifts in "appreciation of her patriotism, admiration of her virtues, and pledge of his lasting esteem.".[3][4] They had met after Ratcliffe had served as a nurse in Jeb Stuart's Camp Quivive in Fairfax in the winter of 1861.[4]
- ^ "Laura Ratcliffe (1836-1923)". Find A Grave. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
- ^ Ratcliffe | Civil War Women Retrieved May 3, 2018.
- ^ Canon, Jill (2000). Civil War Heroines. Bellerophon Books. ISBN 0-88388-147-0.
- ^ a b Darden, Tyler (September 5, 2014). "A Beautiful Spy". Virginia Living. Cape Fear Publishing. Retrieved June 24, 2016.