
On an April night in 1865, the quiet of a grand Southern mansion is pierced by distant thunder of cannon fire and the flicker of artillery flashes over Richmond. Inside, the air is thick with the scent of roses and the soft rustle of women stitching bandages, their nervous hands reflecting the war’s lingering wounds. The setting captures the uneasy peace that follows the collapse of the Confederacy, where hope and anxiety mingle beneath moonlit vines.
Amid this fragile calm, a small band of Union secret agents infiltrates the household, drawn by whispers of a covert plot that could reignite the conflict. Their leader, a seasoned operative torn between duty and compassion, must navigate the delicate loyalties of the residents while deciphering cryptic messages hidden in the night’s sounds. Listeners will be drawn into tense negotiations, clandestine meetings, and the moral weight of choices made in the shadows of a war‑torn city.
Full title
Secret Service Being the Happenings of a Night in Richmond in the Spring of 1865
Language
en
Duration
~5 hours (332K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2014-01-14
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1861–1920
A minister, journalist, and prolific adventure writer, he brought American history and military life to a wide popular audience. His books mixed action, patriotism, and storytelling in a way that made him a familiar name to early 20th-century readers.
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1853–1937
Best remembered for becoming the stage’s defining Sherlock Holmes, this American actor-playwright helped shape how generations imagined Conan Doyle’s detective. He was also a successful dramatist in his own right, known for popular plays that mixed suspense, patriotism, and theatrical flair.
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