John Scobell
by Krysta CardinaleJohn Scobell was a former slave from Mississippi, and an African-American spy during the Civil War. Scobell was recruited by Allan Pinkerton in fall1861, and became his most trusted black informant. Allan Pinkerton was named the Chief of Intelligence at the beginning of the Civil War for his success as a detective.
John Scobell had been educated by his former owner and subsequently freed. He had quick wit and was somewhat of an actor. These attributes made it easy for Scobell to slip into different roles on different intelligence-gathering missions in the South. Some of these roles included acting as a cook, food vendor or servant. He is most famous for providing the Union valuable information on Confederate troop movements, orders of battle, and other tactical procedures.
While Pinkerton and his white agents would seek out information from Confederate officers, John Scobell would venture into the black community. Here he would scope out answers from prominent leaders and various cognoscenti. Scobell also used his membership to the “Legal League,” an undercover black anti-slavery organization in the South, to acquire additional information. He often used the services of other League members, who would act as couriers to transport Scobell's findings to Union lines.
John Scobell served as a significant black spy for the Union army up until November 1862. His services came to an end because General George B. McClellan was replaced by Ambrose E. Burnside, thus Pinkerton and his staff were also replaced by Lafayette Baker as Chief of Intelligence.
