Why Did Elizabeth's Plan To Help The Union Escape

Elizabeth devised a plan to help Union prisoners escape. Van Lew started to gain more Unionists who were willing to help which, made things easier but riskier. Van Lew even cunningly got one of her most trusted former slaves inside the confederate white house, to serve has a servant. However, late she’ll be secretly working with Elizabeth and other Unionist to help the union. Elizabeth was studying people and places to see, when it’ll be good to commence part of her plan.
She had connections in the prison, her friend nephew named Erasmus Ross was secretly a Union sympathizer. He had to put on a disguise, so he would call the Union prisoners names and curse at them so it can stay undercover. He was a part of Van Lew’s plan to aide escapees. His job was to get the prisoner out and Elizabeth would then hide the prisoners in her secret room in her the Van Lew mansion. She would later give the prisoners the safest route to get back safely with the Union troops. She continued with that part of her plan and done so discreetly. To devise bigger plans, she knew she’ll need more allies in confederate uniforms.
The prisons were overrun with rodents and overcrowded, but the prisoners couldn’t go outside for fresh air. “One man awakened during the night to find a large rat perched on his head.” (Abbott, p.161) The men were weary of the circumstances, they started to trap the rats and eat them for dinner. Elizabeth continued to help in the release of the prisons, she had got to a point where she was in control of an underground network. It was named Richmond underground and it was full of Union sympathizer that help aide Union soldiers and spy on the