Behind Rebel Lines: The Incredible Story of Emma Edmonds, Civil War Spy

Disguised as an enslaved male named Cuff, Emma wanders close to the enemy camp, where she stumbles across a group of enslaved people doing chores. They accept her and lead her back to the Confederate lines. The Confederates at once put Emma to work hauling rock in a wheelbarrow. This backbreaking task blisters her hands, but she needs to work quickly to avoid a beating from the guards.

During her midday meal, Emma realizes that those who are enslaved eat different food than their masters: “The white troopers ate well, but slave food was poor—mostly cornbread and gruel, with a bit of dried beef now and then” (48). After they complete their day’s work, the Confederates round the enslaved people up and lock them in a compound for the night. Emma takes notes on everything she sees that day and stores the information on a slip of paper that she hides in her shoe.

The next morning, Emma’s hands are so blistered that she can’t continue to haul rocks, so she trades duties with a person enslaved in the kitchen. Her newest dilemma is how to escape the camp unseen. As Cuff, she thinks, “He had a lot of valuable information and had to get back as quickly as possible, but it wouldn’t be easy.