he cried out, calling them each by
name, and pointing at one after another. "General Grant will be in
this city within an hour; if this house is harmed your house shall be
burned by noon!" At the fearless words, one by one they turned,
muttering, and slunk away, and the Van Lew house was neither burned
nor harmed in any way.

The Union troops were coming near now, marching to the center of the
city. As the long, dusty line of men in blue swung into Main Street,
Betty Van Lew ran up to the secret room under the garret roof, drew
out the great flag for which she had sent in anticipation of this day,
and when the Union soldiers marched past the historic old mansion, the
Stars and Stripes were waving proudly over its portico. The
Confederacy was no more!

Despite her bravery, Betty Van Lew's life was now in danger. There was
urgent need of special protection for her. Feeling against the
northern victors was at fever height in poor, desolated, defeated
Richmond, and it is small wonder that one born in their city, who yet
stood openly and fearlessly against all that the Southerners held
sacred, should have been despised, and worse than that. Realizing her
danger, and knowing the priceless service she had rendered the Union
generals in the four long years of the war, Colonel Parke, with a
force of men, was sent to protect the Spy. To the General's utter
amazement they did not find her in the old house. She was found in the
deserted Capitol, ransacking it for documents which she feared might
be destroyed and which would be a loss to the Government.

As "Crazy Bet" and as a Union Spy, Betty Van Lew's long and remarkable
service of her country was ended. The Confederacy was dissolved, and
again the flag of the United States of America could rightfully wave
from every building in the land. At the beginning of the war, when
Betty took on herself the role of Federal Secret Service agent, she
was light of heart, alert of body and mind. Now, for four years, she
had born a heavy burden of fear and of crushing responsibility, for
the sake of a cause for which she was willing to sacrifice comfort,
wealth and other things which the average woman counts dear, and her
heart and brain were weary.

Two weeks after the inauguration of Grant as President of the United
States, as a reward for her faithful service, he appointed Betty Van
Lew postmistress of Richmond. Well she knew that her enemies would
declare the appointment a reward for h