Major Pauline Cushman

Major Pauline Cushman (1833–1893) was an actress and Union spy. She used her acting skills to pose as a Confederate sympathizer and often dressed as a man during her operations. In her largest operation she stole rebel fortification plans but was captured by Confederate troops and sentenced to hanging. She then became ill with typhoid fever and was spared from execution. President Lincoln gave her the honorary title of major for her work in the Civil War.