Chapter 4
A Shocking Death
R
ose set sail for America in August 1864. She
carried important
documents
from England’s
government. She also carried $2,000 worth of gold
coins sewn into her dress. She planned to give the
money to the Confederacy.
On October 1, the ship reached the North
Carolina coast. A Union gunboat began chasing
it. Rose’s ship ran aground. Rose
did not want to get caught, so she
jumped into a rowboat. But the
water was rough, and the rowboat
tipped over. Rose could not swim
because of all the heavy gold she
was carrying in her gown.
Weighed down by the
gold, Rose drowned.
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