Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-06-07
q Selettea Stnry.
From the New York Watchman.
BELLE BOYD,
THE SOUTHERN HEROINE.

The first sight we ever had of Belle
Boyd was in the cars, in January, 1864.
We entered at Chester, South Carolina, en-
route for Columbia-that Columbia whose
winding-sheet was of lurid flames When
we entered the cars, every seat was occu-
pied, and we stood few seconds-for in a
Southern car no lady ever stands longer
than that space of time-looking about for
a place to sit. There reclined on seat
near us figure, but whether it was that of
a man or woman, we were at loss to
decide On seeing us, the person arose,
and in decidedly feminine tones courteously
offered Us her seat. Ofcourse we declined,
and some Confederate soldiers on the next
seat politely vacated it for US. When seat
ed, We took survey Of the lady in front of
us-for lady she turned out to be. She
wore gray dress, the jacket of which was
buttoned up to the throat with gilt buttons !;
the sleeves were made like mans coat
sleeve, and decorated with the insignia of a
captain in the Confederate army. That
sleeve conveyed the impression that a man
wore the dress, but the rest of the costume
was all womanly. A straw hat and black
veil surmounted the short hair, which was
brushed in slight curls over the temples; a
grey shawl thrown back, and neatly fitting
pair of kid gloves completed the costume.
The appearance of this lady, notwithstand-
ing her somewhat mannish dress, was ex-
ceedingly prepossessing. She was very
youthful in appearance, seemingly not more
than twenty years of age. Her hair was
of deep auburn, her complexion brilliant,
and her features somewhat aqueliue. She
vas tall and decidedly distinguished in ap.
pearance. One of those remarkable in.
stincts which are sometimes given US, told
US at once that this lady was no other than
Belle Boyd, that young and daring South
ern girl, in whose exploits we had felt so
much interest.
We soon entered into conversation, and
she said, with amusing naviette, "Perhaps
you have heard of me; am Belle Boyd." "
"Heard of you! Yes; you are one Of
our heroines."
"Thank you," she said quietly.
We did not tell her how, in our Northern
home, where fate had placed us the first
two years of the war, she had been to US
peculiar object of sympathy and sollcitude'
How we daily scanned the papers for some
record of her daring-how We had mourned
over her imprisonment, aud thought with
horror of what might be her ultimate
punishment. And now here We were, in
our own sunny South, quietly sitting, talk
ing with her, after her second captivity o1
many long and tedious months. She had
lust been released from prison, and her
mind seemed full of the horrors she had
endured.
She told us that she was completely
shattered in mind and body; the typhoid
fever, from which she had just recovered
had left her with violent cough, and in ;
miserable state of health. She never men
toned the services that she had rendered
her country her mind only reverted to thf
fearful horrors of her prison life The
most mo.tifying circumstances of her career
was, that she was marched up to Butler''
headquarters, at Fortress Monroe, through
file of negro soldiers. She appeared tt
dread the idea of being taken captive il
her anticipated running of the blockade a
Wilmington, the possibility of which VT
hinted at.
81 will throw myself into the sea" sh'
said, asooner than again fall into the hand
of the Yankees"
She was attended by major of the Con
federate army, who remarked to US aside
that she was the bravest person under hr
ever seen; and had done more to advanc
the cause of the South than some OF ne
generals-that she was the only regularl
commissioned female officer in the Southern
srmy, and we'll deserved the compliment.
As the shades of evening approached
Belle Boyd commenced song, in whicl
she was joined by the soldiers present; an.
soon the sweet strains of "Home Again
aI., .,4 an the silent air. II WAS