Spies are found throughout the world. Most likely they are looking for clues to help another person. Believe it or not, spies were sent from the North and South during the Civil War to provide intelligence “behind the lines.” The spies who supported the North were called Union Spies. This group contained both men and women. There were few slaves, but there were often patriotic people. Civil War spies worked hard to give their side a small edge in victory. Elizabeth Van Lew, Pauline Cushman, Sarah Thompson, and Sarah Emma Edmonds were Union spies who played a huge role in relaying information from the South to the North to increase the North's chances of succeeding during the Civil War. classy woman born in Richmond, Virginia. She was born into a family of slave owners. He has the reputation of being one of the boldest and most successful spies during the Civil War period. In fact she has been described as more successful than Confederate spy Belle Boyd. Elizabeth was well known for helping Union prisoners escape and hide from Libby Prison. There are theories that he hid escaped prisoners in his attic. When she was in prison, Elizabeth received information from guards who were in the Confederate lines. He was skilled at communicating with wartime generals. Elizabeth used former slaves to convey her information in a variety of different ways, which she then passed on to higher authorities. [civilwarstory.com] states: "Miss Van Lew's spy network in Richmond was extensive." The author is saying that Elizabeth Van Lew had various types of people in Richmond asking her for more information. He used his company contacts to gather facts from the Con… in the middle of the paper… he had malaria. From June 1863 to the end of the Civil War, Emma Edmonds was a nurse for the Union. He published memoirs in Nurse and Spy in the Union Army. The stories became very popular with over a thousand copies sold. Sarah Emma Edmonds died in 1898. Civil War spies worked hard and did everything they could to help their side. Union spies weren't just the women this essay was about. There were often men and other types of women working to obtain information. The work of being a spy can be risky and tough. Most of the spies were behind enemy lines. The overall goal of their work is to gain knowledge of what the Confederate Army's strategy was to protect the Union Army. The four spies who played an extraordinary role during the Civil War were Elizabeth Van Lew, Pauline Cushman, Sarah Thompson and Sarah Emma Edmonds.