SAVE THE DATE!

Civil War Spy:

The Southern Belle Who Took Down the Confederacy

Featuring Noted Chautauquan Kim Harris, Performing as

Elizabeth Van Lew

Where: J Resort Hotel, Reno

When: February 28, 2026, 11 a.m. to 1:30 pm.

3-course plated lunch

Elizabeth Van Lew, a true southern belle who was living a monied life in the City of Richmond, Virginia, was a staunch supporter of the Union Army. She became one of the Union’s most gifted and dedicated spies and routinely put herself in harm’s way. Her initial efforts to help Union Army prisoners of war escape led to an even broader (and dangerous) role in gathering information on the war plans of the Confederate Army and the secret deliberations of the Confederacy’s political leaders. 

By 1863, Elizabeth had become the primary handler of an extensive spy ring for the Union Army. The intelligence she fed to General Ulysses S. Grant and other Union Army generals led to the successful Siege of Petersburg and the fall of Richmond in 1865. After the war, General Grant credited Van Lew with providing him with the most valuable information received from any of his network of spies.

About Kim Harris

Kim Harris is an accomplished Chautauquan who has portrayed living history characters at various venues in Northern Nevada. Harris currently serves as Events and Education Manager at Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park in Minden, Nevada, and is the owner and operator of Western History ALIVE! where she portrays several characters, including Libbie Bacon Custer, Calamity Jane and Lizzie Borden.



Registration Opens December 15, 2025

Cost: $30 per person