She travelled into enemy territory to gather information, requiring her to come up with many disguises. One disguise required her to use silver nitrate to dye her skin black, wear a black wig, and walk into the Confederacy disguised as a black man by the name of Cuff. Another time, she entered as an Irish peddler by the name of Bridget O'Shea, claiming that she was selling apples and soap to the soldiers. Again, she was posing as a black laundress working for the Confederates when a packet of official papers fell out of an officer's jacket. She returned to the Union with the papers, and the generals were delighted. Another time, she worked as a detective in Kentucky as Charles Mayberry, uncovering a Confederacy agent.