I loved watching The Wild Wild West as a scared youngster. I guess back in the 1800s a parasol could be used for more than clunking U.S. agents over their heads.
From the Richmond Daily Dispatch June 4, 1863:
The arrest of Miss Hozier at Norfolk.
The arrest of Miss Hozier, at Norfolk, with a plan of the fortifications there, and a full statement of the Federal forces and their position, was published yesterday. The young lady lives a few miles this side of Suffolk, and had been to Norfolk on a visit. The Norfolk correspondent of the Philadelphia Inquirer gives some interesting particulars of the arrest:
As she was embarking upon the noon train from here for her home, she was accosted by several members of the Provost guard, who informed her that her presence was immediately needed at the headquarters. She replied that she had been there, and was furnished with a pass to proceed home. This was so; but it was merely a rose by which to entrap other guilty parties. She refused to accompany the guard or leave the car, maintaining that the right to go home had been guaranteed her. The excitement was beginning to run high, when one of the guands reminded her that if she did not comply peaceably she would be taken at all hazards, even if force had to be used. This seemingly cooled the high spirit of the lady, and she yielded, though with apparent reluctance. She was disarmed of her parasol, a most important trophy, which was the silent and positive witness of traitorous persons’ doings. It, with its fair owner, was delivered to the proper authorities.
She underwent a strict examination, and the parasol a strict dissection. Ingeniously concealed in the handle was a long compressed roll of thin paper, upon which was an extremely minute description of our forces, with the exact number at each point, the best modes of entrance and exit, by which certain captured could be made. Localities were marked down, fortifications traced and enumerated. The number of Monitors and gunboats in the locality were spoken of, and it was asserted that; the Union forces at Suffolk would shortly abandon that place and fall back within a short distance of Norfolk. The movement of troops in the vicinity of West Point was given in considerable detail. A drawing of the country accompanied the letter. The roads, streams, &c., were marked with great precision. Everything was mentioned with great accuracy and very minutely. The information would have been of untold value to the rebels, and it seems extremely strange how so much could be obtained so correctly by the abetlors of our enemies.
There are other parties implicated along with Miss Hozier. Two of them have also been arrested. One is Mrs. Webb, an elderly lady, from whose house the document came. The alleged writer is a Mr. Stubbs, and attorney-at-law, and who was, for three years, the Mayor of Norfolk. He is now in custody. The intercepted documents were addressed to the commander of the Confederate forces on the Blackwater. Miss Hozier had been delegated to run them through the blockade, and have them forwarded to him for whom they were intended. The whole was a well-laid scheme. It contemplated a capture of Norfolk, pointing out the ways which it could be done, and giving encouragement to the rebel soldiery to make their appearance at an early day.
The places where Gen. Vi[e]le and Governor Pierpont resided were designated, and it was recommended that a “Morgan raid” he made to carry off the “bogus Governor” of Virginia. A way was given showing how this might be done, but it is unnecessary to unfold it to loyal readers.
