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

As a Union spy, Emma relies heavily on her disguises to allow her to slip behind enemy lines undetected. However, the story also highlights the times when luck intervenes to allow her to escape from dire situations. Some of these instances resemble divine intervention because they occur at moments when otherwise all might seem lost.

The first example of good luck intervening occurs when Emma is posing as an enslaved male named Cuff. She’s collected all her information and needs to find a way to return to the Union camp. Although the disguise of an invisible, enslaved person is ideal for allowing her free access to information, she can’t move at night because the Confederates lock the enslaved people in a compound. Emma sees no way out of her dilemma until fate intervenes. The Confederates randomly pick her to stand guard duty. When the officer who selected her walks off, she slips away.

On another occasion, Emma is posing as an Irish peddler and gleans valuable intelligence from the soldiers in the rebel camp. Her exit is once again problematic until an officer asks for her assistance to find a fallen soldier and even gives her a horse for the journey. Once again, Emma can make a fast exit with no one the wiser.