Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1863-06-10

ed societies places upon the most abAn-
doned prostitutes aud tdeir companions
Belle rcveuged herself upon them by
h urrahing for JEFF Davis and Stonewall
Jackson and ty such Inquiries as
'How long did it take you TO come irom
Bull Run p
Are you going on to Richmond ?
where's Gen, Pope's headquar tors 2
Where did Pope leave his coat?
! Hush up. yol - one of the soldiers
would hal!oo. 'or III shoot you.
Shoot me, Belle would reply, go meet
men, YOU towards. What are you doing
here 10 Washington Stonewall Jacks
son is waiting for YOU on the other side OF
the Potomac. Aye, you could fight de-
fenceless, imprisoned women like me, but
YOU were driven out Of the Shenandoah
Valley ty the men of Virginia.
Did the officers Of the troops passing
hy permit the soldiers TO thus insult a te
male and subject themselves to such scorn..
ful and contemptnods reproof, the reader
will he apt Ia inquire Yes, and particl>
mated with the soldiers in uttering the
most vulgar language and indecent alluN
sions TO the imprisoned women, and that,
too, without having the remotest idea OF
who she was, or Of what she was accused.
1t was enough for them that she was a
delenceleSs woman 20 insult and outrage
ner by such language as they would not
dare to apply IN the public streets to an
/ abandoned woman who had her liberty
7 And these men were going forth to fight
4 the battles of the Union. They had just
parted with their muthers, wives and SIS
1. I Ia, Lin,
they turned their hacks upon the virtues
which give beauty 70 woman and dignity
( TO man.
Who would suppose that it was but yes-
, ieFday, or Il week ago. those soldiers who
are howEng through the streets Of the
, Capitol the most execrable language, par
tel from the fond eu braces of Il wife, sis
ter or mother. Yet it was so IN most in
stances. Some OF them, it is true, had
been campaigning, and not few Of them
as Belle Boyd properly inferred. had been
with Pope at the second battle of Bul
, Run, aud were now returning from the Ar
scnal with new arms to supply the place
! of those thrown away in the rOut of the
| 2Sth and 29Ih August. 1t was not SO
much won der that such soldiers as these,
both officers and men, would turn aside al
they passed the Old Capitol and insult q
'dcipuceass wollun with the language OF
the bruthpl. They seemed to be more a
dcpts in this than they were in lighting
| the rebels. When these marching sol.
diers provoked Belle too much, she would
stick oat her secesh Gag through the win
dow, and leave it there until they had all
passed by. Their imprecations would
= |. A.. Go ,5rf
from her window, out Of their sight anC
hearing,
During Bellies stay in the Old Capitol a
young officer of the Confederate ARMY, a
fellow prisoner Of hers, named McVay, cul
tiva,edun acquaintance with her which hao
been formed on previous occasion. 1t,
! McVay was wounded in one Of tho battles
before Richmond, and being left on the
feld by the Coni.lerates. was taken pris'
uner by The Federal forces, His condition
was such that he could not be removed
( far, and on the application OF some friends
, ly acquaintances of his, he was paroleo
land taken in care by them Contrary 10
their expectations. he survived his dang
erous wound. grew better and finally re-
covered. Being under parole, he did no
fee, at liberty 10 20 a. large, not to returi
to lie Confederate SCR vice. His plac" q
residences being near Alexandra, ant
within the Federal lines, lest he ~ Ight b'
presumed to have returned to his allegl.
uncp to the Federal Government, and les
he might be suspected OF occupying an
eauivucal position, he gave up his paro.t
to Gen. Wad-worth, Military Governor o
J Washington, and desired to be considered
! as prisoner ofwar. Wadsworth at frs
, refused to- 50 consider and treat him, bu
sent him to the Old Capitol. Meantlm,
he renewed, and as has been said, cult
waited an Acquaintance with Belle Boyd
which ripered, it WAS generally under
stood, into such mutual regard AS endet
, in an engagement to unite their persons
in connubial life
Tue marble which was spoken of in an
J other part Of this narrative played an inns
1 portant part in the oourtship of Those
! Young lovers McVay's room opened OF
! the same little corridor or hail as that o
, Belle B0yd's, and the marble with il
P freight of billet douz could be rolled from
$ one room to the other The patience o
{ the guard as well as his vigilance, was of
, ten taxed by the rolling OF this marble
.
= would turn suddenly round, but not il
, time TO discover the cause of his annoy
: ance. The marole a,ways reached It's des
tira'ion, and never failed to carry with
safely its precious burden.
, AT the general exchange Of prisoner
: which took place IN September last, Bell
: Boyd was sent TO Richmond As soon a
it became known in the Old Capitol tha
she was about to leave, there was not one
I Federali>t or Confederate, Prisoner o
State, officer Of the Old Capitol, as well a
, prisoner OF war, who dill not feel that h,
. was about TO part with one for whom h,
: had at least q great personal regard. Witt
5 many il was more than mere regard -
, There was more than one McVay who as
; phed to the enviable position which tn,
5 handsome. dashing and gent!emsnly Con
= federaie Lieutenant succeeded in acquir
t ing Every inmate Of the Old Cdpito
tiled TO procure some token of remem
, prance fron Belle, and there was scarcel!
uvn did srNh h.r Il