Would you like to know a secret? In high school and early college, I became very intrigued by the stories of the American Civil War. The concept of brother against brother tugged at my teenage heartstrings so strongly that I wrote an entire historical fiction novel based off of a soldier who died in Spotsylvania. Star-crossed lovers, sibling connections, and changing perceptions marked the pages.
Over the years, my interest in that era morphed into a longing to learn more about Virginia history as a whole. That’s why I’m really excited to share today’s lead story with you (especially during Women’s History Month). It’s about Virginia women who worked as spies during a tumultuous time in our country’s past. Enjoy the read because I’m so glad you’re here.
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Belle Boyd was nicknamed “the Siren of the Shenandoah” for her spying efforts. (Library of Congress)
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By Aila Boyd
Here’s what you need to know: Long before the Central Intelligence Agency was founded and headquartered in McLean, female spies in Virginia shaped the course of the Civil War by carrying messages across enemy lines, gathering intelligence in their homes, and risking imprisonment.
Notable names:
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Although Elizabeth Van Lew, who was born in 1818, came from a well-to-do slave-holding family in Richmond, it should come as no surprise that she spied for the Union, given her Northern roots and Quaker background. Van Lew decided to contribute to the creation of an underground assembly that worked to thwart the Confederacy and support imprisoned Union men.
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Perhaps one of the most recognizable of Civil War spies is Belle Boyd, who was born in Martinsburg, Virginia, but what is now West Virginia. Surprisingly, her spying career began at the age of 17 after she shot and killed a drunken Union soldier who is said to have directed offensive language towards Boyd and her mother.
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Mary Louvestre, an African American woman and former slave, was working in the household of an engineer involved in the conversion effort to turn the USS Merrimack into the CSS Virginia in Norfolk. Louvestre nabbed a copy of the ship’s plans and journeyed north. She made it to Washington, DC, where she shared the plans for the Confederacy’s first ironclad vessel with Department of the Navy officials.
Want to learn more? We’ve got additional information on these and other women at the link below.
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Local news is essential for democracy.
Our reporting cuts through false narratives, documents what’s actually happening in our communities, and provides voters with the clear, factual information they need—especially when the stakes are high.
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The Virginia State Capitol on March 11, 2026. (Michael O’Connor/Dogwood)
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By Michael O’Connor
Virginia lawmakers recently passed legislation to lift a state ban on public sector collective bargaining for about half a million public sector workers.
The bill would apply to public teachers, firefighters, maintenance workers, and other employees employed by local governments and school boards, along with people who work at state agencies.
Virginia labor advocates and policy watchers say this is a historic moment given how long the ban was in place and the number of workers it would impact.
“This is probably one of the most significant pieces of legislation that will advance worker rights, specifically for public sector workers, in a very long time,” said Rodrigo Soto, legislative and campaigns director at The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis.
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Chad Pickeral (left) and Amie Knowles set off on a DIY roof repair adventure. (Kody Knowles/Dogwood)
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By Amie Knowles
If you’ve hung around here for a while, you’re probably aware of my love/hate relationship with our 116-year-old home. I adore its character and location, but I absolutely do not love the way it keeps trying to financially ruin us. Enter: the leaking roof.
Our house is basically the architectural version of a group project where no one has communicated. The original structure went up in 1910, someone got ambitious in 1940, and then another round of “sure, why not?” happened sometime in the mid-60s to ‘70s. The result? A Frankensteined together structure that we proudly call “home.”
Most recently, the shingles over part of the 1940 addition started leaking around an unused satellite dish the previous owners bolted straight into the roof (how very thoughtful of them). We called a roofing company who quoted $3,280 for just that portion, which left us with two options for the upcoming spring showers: Let it leak or try to seal it ourselves.
I’m no roofing pro, but I do have ADHD—which is basically another way of saying I can come up with creative solutions. So I bought a $5 can of insulating spray foam sealant from Home Depot. My brother came over, and together, we scaled the roof and applied the sealant.
Is it pretty? No. Is that product meant for leaky roofs? Also no. Is it working? Eh, to be determined—we didn’t get as much rain as the weather folks called for the following day, so it’s hard to tell. But, until proven otherwise, our family mantra remains in place: “If it’s stupid but works, it ain’t stupid.”
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Tony Massenburg sets up for a play. (Sporting News/Getty Images)
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By Aila Boyd
Born in Sussex in 1967, Tony Massenburg played for the Maryland Terrapins before being drafted into the NBA as a power forward in 1990.
He played for several teams, but both started and concluded his career with the San Antonio Spurs.
Massenburg retired after the 2004-05 season after 683 games. His average points per game were 6.2.
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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Amie Knowles. Amie is a lifelong Virginia resident and mom to a fantastic 8-year-old who loves Pokémon. This edition includes stories from Aila Boyd, and Michael O’Connor. It was edited by Brook Bolen
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