Discovering History - Female Spies in the Civil War

Although a majority of Americans believe that the Civil War was fought only by men, that is far from the truth. While most women were not on the battlefield, there were some, such as the legendary Belle Boyd, who participated in spying and espionage. During this installment of Discovering History, we will explore the life of Belle Boyd, a resident of Martinsburg, West Virginia, and her actions during the Civil War. We will also touch on the experiences of other female spies and discuss why it is important to study figures on both the right and wrong sides of history.

Abby Farnsworth is a senior at Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. She is majoring in History with minors in Political Science and Conflict Resolution, and is also a member of the Ashbrook Scholar Program. Additionally, Abby has taken graduate courses at Ashland and focuses her research on the lives of extraordinary female historical figures. She is currently working on completing her undergraduate thesis, which will explore the life of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII. Abby will defend her thesis in the Spring of 2026.

This event is sponsored by the Washington County Public Library, and is FREE and open to the public.

You may also like the following events from Campus Martius and Ohio River Museum:

• This September, 6th September, 11:00 am, Discovering History in Marietta
• This November, 7th November, 12:00 pm, Discovering History: “No Savage Should Inherit the Land”: War in the Ohio Valley in Marietta

Also check out other Workshops in Marietta.