▁code - named ▁Cris pus ▁Att uck s ▁who ▁writes ▁comprom ising ▁letters ▁to ▁the ▁authorities ▁in ▁Washington ▁ta un ting ▁them ▁about ▁the ▁cell ' s ▁up coming ▁actions . ▁Not ▁wanting ▁to ▁je op ard ize ▁relations ▁with ▁the ▁Confeder acy , ▁President ▁McC le ll an ▁orders ▁General ▁John ▁Raw l ins ▁to ▁investigate ▁the ▁letters . ▁Form er ▁President ▁Lincoln , ▁still ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁hero ▁by ▁many , ▁also ▁spons ors ▁Raw l ins ' ▁mission . ▁ ▁The ▁court ▁of ▁inqu iry ▁attract s ▁considerable ▁attention ▁from ▁the ▁public ▁and ▁the ▁press . ▁Many ▁prominent ▁women ▁r ally ▁around ▁the ▁hand some ▁Stuart , ▁most ▁not ably ▁B ess ica ▁Adams ▁South wick , ▁a ▁beautiful ▁and ▁wealth y ▁wid ow . ▁Her ▁cas ual ▁fl irt ation ▁with ▁Stuart ▁soon ▁develop s ▁into ▁love , ▁though ▁Stuart ' s ▁sense ▁of ▁honor ▁rest ra ins ▁him ▁from ▁bet ray ing ▁his ▁mar ital ▁v ows . ▁In tr igu ed ▁by ▁the ▁opportunity ▁presented ▁by ▁the ▁trial , ▁H ig gin son ▁arr anges ▁for ▁Ver ita ▁to ▁travel ▁to ▁Richmond . ▁Pos ing ▁as ▁a ▁French ▁actress , ▁she ▁is ▁hosted ▁by ▁South wick , ▁who ▁soon ▁gives ▁Ver ita ▁access ▁to ▁many ▁prominent ▁Confeder ate ▁figures , ▁most ▁not ably ▁Jud ah ▁P . ▁Benjamin , ▁with ▁whom ▁H ig gin son ▁encourag es ▁Ver ita ▁to ▁begin ▁an ▁affair ▁so ▁as ▁to ▁learn ▁what ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁official ▁knows ▁about ▁fund ing ▁for