The Memphis union appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1862-1862, 1862-07-26
OUR SHENANDOAH LETTER
Front ROYAL.

Front r. oval.
Correspondence Of the Philadelphia Enquirer.1
FRONT ROYAL, VA, July Il, 1s62.-This
town is village of perhaps five hundred peo-
pie. The houses are neat and clearly, looking
handsome, where wars rsvages or neglect of
absolute idleness have not rendered them al
most untenantable. There is one large fine
| looking frame hotel yet open. In the rear of
the front building there is large pleasant
grass plot, with flowers and brick walks ex-
| tending through it to the private residence of
| the owner or occupant of the hotel The
whole of this interior court is surrounded by
pleasant wooden balcony. Upon this at any
time during the day you may pace to your
hearts content, independent of storm and sun
shine. In the evening it is wondrously cool
| and the air soothingly refreshing. 1t is here
that some of the most accomplished women in
/ the valley assemble, with purpose and design
to pump" from our young iieutenants, who
know little of the stern realities of war, the
name and number of their regiments-how
many effective men their particular regiment
can muster, and what their state of efficiency
/ is.
Southern Female Spies.
| These women are the most accomplished in
| Southern circles. They are introduced under
assumed names to our officers, so as to avoid
]
their names are known, but their persons I'M
known. By such msans they are enabled fire.
quently to meet combinedly, but at separate
| times, the officers of every regimentin whole
column, and by simple compilation and COM
parison of notes, they achieve full knowledge
of the strength of our entire force. Has mod
ern warfare a parallel to the use of such ac-
complishmenLs for such purpose? The chief
| of these spies is the celebrated
Belle Boydd.
Her acknowledged superiority for machine
ton and intrigue has given her the leadership
and control of the female spies in the Valley
| of Virginia She is 8 resident of Martinsburg,
when at home, and has pions good old mother,
who regrets as mucn as any one can, the VIC
lent and eccentric course of her daughter since
this rebellion has broken out Belle has passed
the first freshness of youth. She is sharp
featured, bIack.eyed woman of twenty-five, or
care and intrigue have given her that appear
snce. Last summer, while Patterson's army
lay at Martinsburg, she wore a revolver in her
belt and was courted and fattered by every
lieutenant and captain in the service who ever
saw her. There was a kind of D Vernon
dash about Der, a smart pertness, quickness
of retort, and utter abandon of manner and
bearing which were attractive from their very
romantic unwOntedHess.
| ne lSlu6K u ILLS IScOlut6 DidCh-eY6Q Vixen
is paymaster in the Southern army, and
formerly held place at Washington under
our government. She has undergone all that
society, position and education can confer upon
q mind suited to the days of Charles II, or
Louis AIV-a mind such as Mazarin or Ri
chelieu would have delighted to employ from
its kindred afinities.
Well this woman saw practising her arts
upon our young lieutenants and inexperienced
captains, and in each case / uniformly felt il
my duty to call them aside, and warn them OF
whom she was. To one she had been intro
duced as Miss Anderson, to another as Miss
Faulkner, and so to the end of the chapter
She is so we'll known now that she can only
practise her Establishments upon new raw
levies and their officers. But from them she
obtains the number of their regiments and
their force. She has, however, trained band
of coadjutors who report to her daily-girls
aged from sixteen upward-women who have
the common sense not to make themselves as
CONSPICUOUS as she, and who remain unknown
save 10 her. and are therefore effective.
The reports that she is personally impure
are as unjust as they are undeserved. She has
blind devotion to an idea, and passes far the
boun larry of her SEEKS modesty to promote its
success. She, with all her faults and false de.
votion to ideas, which are at the foundation OF
our political and social disorders, has not yet
lost the GROWING virtue of weman Report
ers who thus attack woman, defenseless with
in their province, exceed the license which jus
J tice and fairness even allot TO outlaws.
During the past campaigns in the valley
this woman has been of immense service K
: the enemy. She will be now, if she can She
therefore, should at once be passed beyond oul
lines, sent to Richmond, and allowed to remain
with those with whom she deeply sympathizes
A Popuiar Idea with the Army OF Vir
ginia.
On ali hands women either play the SO,
upon the conduct of this army or openly ex
press sympathy with the rebels. Our soldier
) are detailed as guards to watch over their per
j sonal safety and over that of their property
The soldiers are uniformly insulted, and the,
+ bear it patiently. They propose that all dis
J loyal women-those who are known to be act
ing as spies or whoopenly boast of ;hreir tres
son--shall be honorably escorted beyond Gu
lines, on the road TO Richmond, with distinc
and positive notice that they should not return
but should remain with their relatives at Rich
mond.
Front Royal, as n Strategic Point
. Is not of the slightest appreciable Importance
!, 1t can be commanded, situated rs it is in tn,
! bowl Of valley, from the hills on either side
! Its relative importance has been derived from
: its being an important station on the Manassa
railroad. From this circumstance of locality
} both the struggles were made for its possession
in which Ewell, and Kenly, and Shields, an,
, the 9Th Louisiana, figured 50 extensively. Il