Harriet Wood, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on June 10, 1833, the daughter of a Spanish merchant and a Frenchwoman. In 1862, she made her stage debut in Louisville, Kentucky. Later, she would travel to New York where she would take the stage name Pauline Cushman.
After a performance, Cushman was paid by two pro-Confederate men to toast Confederate President Jefferson Davis. The theatre company forced her to quit, but she decided to spy for the Union.
She managed to conceal Confederate battle plans in her shoes but was caught, tried by a military court, and sentenced to death by hanging. She acted sick causing her execution to be postponed, and was later spared hanging by the invasion of Union troops.
Some reports state that she returned to the South as a spy, dressed in a male uniform. She was made an honorary major by President Abraham Lincoln for her service. By the end of the Civil War, she was touring the country giving lectures on her exploits as a spy.
Civics Superheroes
Join the Kentucky Historical Society for a short verticle video series examining Kentucky citizenship in the past and present. Learn about four Kentuckians who demonstrated patriotism and sacrifice, then gain new resources to activate the freedoms of your American citizenship. Watch the trailer!
* June 6, D-Day - Kenneth Maddox (DEFENDER)
* June 12, Women's Veteran's Day and Flag Day - Pauline Cushman (AMPLIFIER)
* June 19, Juneteenth - Harry Mordecai (CONNECTOR)
* July 4th, Independence Day - Mary Britton (NURTURER)
Civics Season
What's your Civic Superpower? Take the quiz: Your Civic Superpowers - Civic Season
www.thecivicseason.com/quiz/
Learn more about Civics Season, a flagship program from Made By Us, a network of hundreds of museums, historic sites, libraries, and archives unleashing access to history for younger generations who have the most at stake.
www.thecivicseason.com/
historymadebyus.org/
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