Emeline Pigott was born in 1836. She was raised in Harlowe Township of Carteret County, North Carolina. At the age of 25,
she moved with her parents to a farm at Crab Point on the North Carolina coast, just across the creek from where soldiers of the 26th North Carolina were stationed to defend the coast. She started off working in the army tending to the sick and wounded soliders. She worked throughout three counties in North Carolina collecting mail along food, clothing, medicine, and other needed items. The items that she collected, she left in designated hollow trees for the Confederates to collect.
Emeline started hosting parties and by entertaining the Union soliders, she was able to get information from them. While entertaining the Union soldiers , her brother-in-law Rufus Bell, gave out food from her pantry to hungry Rebel soldiers. Emeline also had help from the local fishermen. The fishermen gathered information as they sold the Yankees fish. Then, they reported the information to Pigott. Emeline used the voluminous skirts worn during this time period to aid her in her secret activities. Sometimes wearing up to 30 pounds of extra weight, Emeline hid important papers, materials, and other contraband in her clothing.
Emeline continued her activities until 1865, when she and her brother-in-law were caught by Yankee soldiers. Emeline was arrested and put in jail in New Bern, N.C. due to the amount of secret information found on her. Emeline was tried, and actually sentenced to death! However, at the last moment she was released from jail. Emeline lived until 1916, and loved to tell stories about her experiences as a spy, but she never revealed the reasons behind her release.
she moved with her parents to a farm at Crab Point on the North Carolina coast, just across the creek from where soldiers of the 26th North Carolina were stationed to defend the coast. She started off working in the army tending to the sick and wounded soliders. She worked throughout three counties in North Carolina collecting mail along food, clothing, medicine, and other needed items. The items that she collected, she left in designated hollow trees for the Confederates to collect.
Emeline started hosting parties and by entertaining the Union soliders, she was able to get information from them. While entertaining the Union soldiers , her brother-in-law Rufus Bell, gave out food from her pantry to hungry Rebel soldiers. Emeline also had help from the local fishermen. The fishermen gathered information as they sold the Yankees fish. Then, they reported the information to Pigott. Emeline used the voluminous skirts worn during this time period to aid her in her secret activities. Sometimes wearing up to 30 pounds of extra weight, Emeline hid important papers, materials, and other contraband in her clothing.
Emeline continued her activities until 1865, when she and her brother-in-law were caught by Yankee soldiers. Emeline was arrested and put in jail in New Bern, N.C. due to the amount of secret information found on her. Emeline was tried, and actually sentenced to death! However, at the last moment she was released from jail. Emeline lived until 1916, and loved to tell stories about her experiences as a spy, but she never revealed the reasons behind her release.