Pauline Cushman

Pauline Cushman 1833–1893

Born New Orleans, Louisiana

A brief but harrowing career as a Union spy trans- formed minor actress Pauline Cushman into a major celebrity. In 1863, while appearing in a play in Union- occupied Louisville, Kentucky, Cushman gained entrée to Confederate circles by publically feigning Southern sympathies. Hailed as the darling of the rebel troops, she gathered intelligence for the North until her duplicity was discovered. Arrested, tried, and condemned to hang, she was rescued by Union forces before the sentence could be carried out.

In recognition of Cushman’s service to the nation, she received a commendation from President Lincoln and was awarded the honorary rank of major. In June 1864, P. T. Barnum advertised that “MISS MAJOR PAULINE CUSHMAN! THE FAMOUS UNION SPY AND SCOUT," would recount her "EXTRAORDINARY EXPLOITS and ADVENTURES" during a series of appearances at his American Museum. Barnum also advised patrons that "elegant" carte de visite portraits of Cushman would be offered for sale.