Pryce lewis biography

He refused to issue a pass for a trip to Richmond, and Lewis and his servant were stranded in town for many days. So the two agents put the delay to good use and picked up whatever information. They could on Confederate forces in the area. Tompkins, who informed him that a pass was not even needed to get to Richmond! Tompkins said that the road east was open for travel.

The two doors left Charleston immediately, but they did not head back to Richmond. They had been away 19 days and traveled many miles through hundreds of enemy troops. When they returned. This passage about Union spy activity, shortly after the U. He added: "The Welsh-American press tended to portray the war at least in part as a war against slavery, and, based on a study of the great number of letters and a few diaries by Welsh-speaking Union soldiers which have survived, it seems that this ideological interpretation of the war was embraced by many common Welsh-American soldiers.

More so than among other ethnic groups in the Union army, it would seem. He did more than any other single person to radicalise Welsh America and list Welsh-speaking Americans in the struggle against slavery. The involvement of Welsh Americans and Welsh immigrants in the Civil War is as colourful as the story of the war itself. Men such as Pryce Lewis ensured the passion and tenacity of the nation spread across the globe — whilst selflessly risking their own lives.

Many Welsh Americans took part in armed combat and came away with military medals for their efforts. A blacksmith by trade, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honour for extraordinary heroism in action at Franklin, Tennessee for capture of the Confederate flag. He won his medal during the landing and attack on Fort Fisher in January He only served one year in the navy and was discharged on June 17 The Captain of the 2nd West Virginia Cavalry charged an captured a strong enemy camp with just 20 men, none of whom lost their lives.

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Group Keep up to date with the latest stories with our WalesOnline newsletter. Mortimer did a great job. The book was detailed, well-researched, and entertaining without feeling like he "spiced" any parts up to keep readers entertained. The incredible amount of additional sources he provides is helpful for any history buff. Double Death is a great glimpse into the past.

I won this ARC off of first reads. This book is a great account of a forgotten Union spy. Perfect literature for history, spy and Civil War fans. In order for me to appreciate non-fiction, I have to go into that mode and usually I can. I have to step out of wanting to be entertained by good fiction and step into wanting to learn something true.

This agency soon became a secret service for the Union. Lewis and few others employees acted as if they were Englishmen touring the south when in reality, they were spies. For 19 months they suffered from hunger, rats, lice, and being shackled, plus their guilty sentences hung over their heads. One agent, Timothy Webster, was accused for being a double agent and was hung.

When they were finally released from jail the damage was done. Instead of thanking their former boss for his role in getting them released, Lewis went out against him accusing Pinkerton of forgetting his men and letting one be executed. This heartbreaking book is full of lies and deceit from one man. Lewis was the honest man. He stayed true to his mission, never faltering, doing his best to be honest and brought so much to our country that was never recognized.

I recieved this as a goodreads first read giveaway. It's a pryce lewis biography story based on civil war spy Pryce Lewis. He did a great service to our country and was all but forgotten. I had a hard time getting into this novel at the beginning. Although the book is well written. History is not my genre of choice. I believe that says something about the author's ability as a writer.

By the end of the book, I was very fond of Pryce Lewis and saddened by his mistreatment by both the U. This was an advanced reading copy and it did have several typographical errors. McCubbin had been dispatched by Provost Marshal General John Winder to observe Webster and was staying in the room directly opposite from his. After greeting Lewis and Scully, McCubbin explained that since they had crossed the Potomac into Confederate territory, both would have to report to Winder's headquarters as soon as possible.

During their meeting, Winder gave no indication of his suspicions that Lewis and Scully might also be Northern agents, and let the two leave after only asking a few questions about their opinions of the Confederacy and reasons for traveling to Richmond. However, after returning to Webster's room Lewis and Scully were intercepted by one of Winder's agents and Chase Morton, the son of the Morton family Lewis had investigated in Washington.

Morton was able to confirm Lewis' identity, and the officer escorted the two men back to Winder's office where the general revealed that he had suspected Lewis all along and promptly arrested the two men on pryce lewises biography of espionage. Lewis remained at Henrico until he and several other inmates staged an escape attempt on March Due to the jail's light security, the group was able to make it north of the Chickahominy River and almost reached the Northern army's front line before being recaptured by Confederate troops on March On April 1, the two were notified that that court-martial had found them both guilty and that they would be hanged in three days.

Lewis was able to get a letter explaining their situation to Fredrick Cridland, the British Acting Consul in Richmond, who agreed to speak with the Southern officials in defense of the two British subjects. On April 3, Cridland arranged a meeting with the Confederate secretary of state Judah Benjamin and secretary of war George Randolph in which he argued that the condemned men had been convicted based on insufficient evidence.

During the following week, Lewis was pressured by agents of Winder into making a confession that would incriminate Webster, who had been arrested by Winder's men on similar charges several days after Lewis and Scully's capture.

Pryce lewis biography

Lewis initially refused but eventually gave in after fearing that Scully had already told the interrogators everything. On April 10, two days before his scheduled date of execution, Lewis met with Judge Advocate William Crump and confessed to him the circumstances of his employment to Pinkerton and the reasons for his trip to Richmond. Lewis made no mention of his previous activity in Charleston and Washington, and would later insist he told the Confederates no more than they already knew.

Webster was tried on this information, and both Scully and Lewis made statements during the trial, although records of exactly what information they provided did not survive the war. Webster was executed on April 29, and guards returned the prisoners to Castle Godwin with their executions postponed indefinitely. Lewis and Scully remained at Castle Godwin until August 18,when overcrowding necessitated their relocation to Castle Thundera newly built prison under the command of Assistant Provost Marshal Captain George Alexander.

After currying favor with the captain and writing several letters to Pinkerton in Washington, Lewis and Scully were able to obtain their release in exchange for Confederate prisoners being held by the Union Army. The two were released on September 28,and arrived in Washington on September Lewis met with Pinkerton on October 2, resulting in a furious altercation that put an end to their professional relationship.

Lewis blamed Pinkerton for his capture and incarceration and refused to accept responsibility for Webster's execution, saying that Pinkerton's poor judgment was the cause of the entire incident. Pinkerton, who had previously forgiven the agents for their involvement in Webster's capture, accused Lewis of treachery and incompetence. The two men never met face-to-face again.

Lewis returned to Washington and worked as a bailiff at Old Capitol Prison until Junewhen Colonel Lafayette Baker accepted him back into his reorganized military secret service. Lewis worked for Baker until later that year, when he resigned after becoming disillusioned with the organization's corruption.