December 25, 1861 

Christmas. A war Christmas. Nothing to be gay 
about on this Holy day. Little Lizzie (niece) 
is too young to know the sadness of the day.
			  
Lt. Gibbs, the Commandant of Libby prison, has 
moved into our home with his family. His wife 
is young and beautiful, and his two small 
children are a delight.  I’m quite proud of 
myself for having persuaded him to move in 
with Mother and I.  The guards at the prison, 
with their loose talk, have proven to be a 
cornucopia of valuable information. But Lt. 
Gibbs, being an officer, is privy to much more 
information.  And the things he tells us at 
dinner are priceless.
                          
There is an added benefit to having Lt. Gibbs 
and his family here.  The rumors about me go 
uninvestigated by Col. Winder. He doesn’t 
believe that I would be passing information 
to the Union the nose of a Confederate Officer.


Jan 15, 1862  

To whomever reads this journal:

I have tried to write about our daily lives  
during the war. It has not been easy.  After 
I have written, I must hide the papers, for 
they could mean my death.  I have placed them 
in a box, and carefully hidden it.  I will 
bury it later.  No one must ever see what I 
have written. Not until my death. Then it 
won’t matter.


Jan 17, 1862  

Mr. Webster stayed with us overnight.  He is a 
polite young man, I like him much.  He and Lt. 
Gibbs talked about the war for hours. I wonder 
what Gibbs would think if he knew that Mr. 
Webster was in the employ of the Union as a spy.


March 1862  

Quaker was here today. He took me on a carriage 
ride. He had something to tell me.  It was about 
Mr. Webster. He is a hero.  He was on his way to
Richmond, when the boat he was crossing the 
Potomac in struck a sandbar and sank.  Mr. 
Webster jumped into the cold river and saved 
the two women who were the wives of Confederate 
Officers.  One of the women was carrying vital 
information to her husband from Washington. The 
paper the information was written on fell from 
her garments and was retrieved by Mr. Webster.  
As a result a spy was discovered in the
U.S. Provost Marshall’s Office in Washington.

Mr. Webster has fallen ill due to the time he 
spent in the cold water of the Potomac.


April 15, 1862

Terrible news.  Mr. Webster was captured. 
Betrayed by one of his own men. Clearly a 
coward, trying to save his own skin by 
betraying another. I pray for Mr. Webster 
everyday.


April 22, 1862  

Mr. Webster was tried and sentenced to be 
hanged, as a spy.  Mrs. L. has gone to the 
prison to plead that he be granted his request 
to be shot instead of hanged like a common 
felon.  This was denied.

Two prisoners escaped today. For now they are 
safe, under the nose of Lt Gibbs. Am I taking 
too many risks?  It is one thing to pass 
information to the Union from my home.  Now I 
am hiding escaped in my attic.  My neighbors 
may be right, I may be Crazy Bett.


April 29, 1862

Mr. Webster was hanged today.  There were many 
spectators.  I was not one of them.  Mrs. L. 
and I prayed for his soul.  He was a good,
brave man, who was betrayed by cowards.  Shame!

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End Note:

Mrs. L has never been identified. All that is 
know is that she was a friend of Elizabeth's, 
and possibly another spy.