In a message dated 3/2/07 10:22:52 PM, [log in to unmask] writes:


> BTW, I had heard that one of the sources of Elizabeth Van Lew's intel 
> was a servant woman in Jeff Davis' house who served tea while high 
> level matters were discussed. These guys couldn't conceive that their 
> own property had enough intelligence to understand what was  being 
> said and to report it up the pipeline to Van Lew. Even when it was 
> obvious that there were leaks, they couldn't put it together. This 
> was the classic example of folks seeing what they wanted to see and 
> not seeing a thing. It amazes me that even today folks are not able 
> to figure out the con.
> 
> Lyle Browning
> 
> 

Dear Lyle:

In Ken Burns documentary The Civil War, there was a segment on spies and he 
quoted a union officers observation about the black slaves he encountered as 
being good spies as "they had been spies all their lives."   They did indeed 
make good spies due to white assumptions about their "lack of intelligence" or 
being "just slaves."   Mary Elizabeth Bowser was indeed a servant in Jefferson 
Davis' White House but was a paid free servant not a slave.   She had been 
enslaved but was freed by Elizabeth Van Lew aka Crazy Bett at her inheritance and 
then sent North for an education by Ms. Van Lew.   I do agree with you on the 
Davis et als. preconceived notion regarding black intelligence blinding them 
to the possibility of Ms. Bowser's connection to Ms. Lew and her activities.   
It is an example of the modern interpretation on what assumptions make ;-0!!!

Anita L. Henderson


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