Crazy Bet, the Scourge of Civil War Richmond
Elizabeth Van Lew may have seemed insane, but she knew exactly what she was doing.
In the second episode of our monthly audio series "Civil War Stories," radio producer Nate DiMeo tells the story of Richmond resident Elizabeth Van Lew, better known as Crazy Bet. Her odd behavior (freeing her family's slaves, visiting Yankee POWs in prison) made tongues wag in the Confederate capital. But Richmond society couldn't begin to guess what was really going on:
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"Civil War Stories" is a collaboration between Slate and "The Memory Palace," DiMeo's long-running podcast that unearths forgotten historical gems. The series will appear monthly during the sesquicentennial commemoration of the Civil War.
You can listen to every episode of "Civil War Stories" using the player below:
Our email address is podcasts@slate.com.
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Andy Bowers is the Executive Producer of Slate Podcast.