Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-08-12
BELL BOYD.
An Interview With the famous Rebel
Spy-HOW She Saved JacksOn's
Army I'm the Shenandoah
Valley.


trrcn the houston kTexaS) Age.l
Yesterday evening, hearing that
Miss Belle Boyd had arrived from
Galveston, and was stopping at the
Dissen House, an Age reporter called,
and in the second story parlor met
this lady, whose name will live to fu-
ture ages along with that of Joan
dare, as one of the romantic charac-
acters that loom up from the great
war of 1861.
Miss Boyd appeared neatly attired,
and is rather a handsome woman,
whose dark eyes fash with something
of the Virginia beauty in times gone
by.
h After few minutes conversation
the discourse drifted to a discussion
of the war. In reply to a question of
the reporter, Miss Boyd gave the fol-
lowing account of her saving OF Stone
wall Jackson's army in the Valley in
1862:
At the time she was prisoner OF
war in Winchester, which was then
held by the Fedrals. One evening
Miss Belle was in the parlor talking
with Captain Jones, of the Twenty
fourth Indiana, when she overheard
an officer remark, We'll get old
Stonewall this time" While pretend
ing to talk to the Captain, she intently
listened, but heard no more. A few
minutes afterward she managed to get
to speak to negro man employed on
the premises, but without being over
heard. She slipped note in his hand,
at the same time giving him So, and
telling him to deliver the note to a
certain lady of her acquaintance in
Winchester.
The note requested her friends,
among other directions, to send Miss
Belle a country woman's suit OF
clothes Immediately. The note was
promptly answered by the appearance
of negro servant-girl, carrying bun
was conveyed into the hands of the
''spy" without exciting suspicion. She
Immediately habited herself In the
coarse robes of servant, and with a
long bonnet, such as used to be worn
by negro servant-girls before the war.
Covering her features, she passed the
guard, who supposed her to be a SER
want girl, sure enough. Having es-
capped, she made her way on foot to an
old rebel Mr.. Gibson, five miles
from Winchester.
The spy" to whom Mr.. Gibson
was we'll known as an old friend, said:
Mr.. Gibson, / want horse"
Gibson-"What. in the world do you
want with horse?"
Miss Boyd want to go to Jack
sons army"
Gibson-"But how in the nation can
you think of going in that dress ?''
Miss Belief don't care how / go,
or what | wear, so / get to Stonewall
jackson tonight. / want to save his
army. l don't care what they take
me for, or whether they think I'm a
niger or not.
The old man found it was of no use
persuading her. She mounted high
mettled Virginia steed and struck out
at a gallop. After riding some seven
miles from Gibson's she heard voices
in the woods near the road, it being
night. She drew rein, and rode into
the bushes. The voices drew nearer
The Yankees have pursued and cut
me off, she thought. But it turned
out to be some boys coon and 'possum
hunting. This dissipated her fright
She knew one of the hunters.
/ want you to tell me if you know
anything of Stonewall Jackson's
army" she inquired of him.
Yes, his army is some six or eight
miles toward the mountains" was the
reply.
The female spy" rode on, and the
morning was breaking upon the his
toric hills of Virginia as she reached
Jackson's camp. One of the first per.
sons she encountered was an officer o.
his staff who had previously known
her.
Hey, Miss Belle" said he, "wha
are you doing here? I thought yot
were in Winchester yesterday evening
a prisoner"
Il was" she replied, "but am a
Stonewall Jackson head. quarters THU
morning"
Regarding her servants apparel, thu
officer said:
Miss Belle, who in the world has
been hiring you for a chambermaiC
since you've been to Winchester ?"
"Oh, nobody has been hiring me
but I've come to be Stonewall Jack
sons waiting-maid to-dayp'
She was Immediately carried to Gen
Jackson's tent, where she informed
him of the intentions of Fremont anC
Banks to fall upon him, and that hi
only move was to retreat. He did so
and intercepted Banks at the Gap
and afterwards Fremont, with wha
result history tells.