Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-02-23
Bette BOYD.

st. Louis Republican NJ
\ Perhaps the memories aud incidents
OF thirteen years ago are not pleasant,
and that is the reason the once famous
Confederate spy has secluded herself
from the pryiug Investigations OF the Gu.
rlous, and in a measure effectually con.
cealed from the public her identity with
the daring, dashiug girl who, in the days
of our national distress, cast conse-
quences behind, aud pursued her own
adventurous career Perhaps, too writ.
ten in the records Of those days, are
some passages in her life which she
would now wish to be forever obliterated
Il matters not what the motive may be,
the woman who was known far and wide
as Belle Boyd, and some Of whose ex.
ploits have found an enduring place in
history, has for some years led the quiet
life Of respectable matron in the city
of St. Louis. No consideration, appa
rently, eau induce her to lay aside this
quiet domestic life to appear again be-
tore the public She has another name
now, and husband and children, and if
the individual lives, the name, at least,
has ceased to exist. Nor does she or
the very few persons who know her in
timately with the daring spy care to re-
call that name again from the tomb OF
the years in which it is buried.
SO careful has Mrs - and her
friends been in guarding this secret, that
even when imposiors have assumed her
discarded name, and trsversed several
Southern States appealing to public
sympathy in the character OF lecturers
she has said nothing and charged her
friends to say nothing, and her silence
has proved to be the opportunity OF the
pretepders to make money on her cred
it. Perhaps the fact that the once cele
brated Belle Boyd ia now respectable
matron, residing In this city, would never
have been revealed to the public had not
her father been a member OF the Masonic
fraternity, fact witch being known has
been utilized by the fictitious Belle Boyd
who has trsversed Alabama, Georgia, the
Carolinas aud Florida, everywhere call.
ing upon the brotherhood for advice and
sympathy.
But description of the deceiver was
printed in an Atlanta paper, and that
description was read by the brethren of
Equality Lodge No. AZ, A. r. and A. NJ, ,
at Martinsburg, West Virginia, to which
iadgs D. R. Boyd. father Of the reel
Be,'e Boyd, belonged These Masous
had krown the real Belle in the days Of
her girlho'ed az bright faced, blue-eyed,
lipht.haired Qaiden, and they knew that
the one who csued herself Belle Boyd,
with a brunette cNmplexion, black eyes
and hair dark as the ravens wing, was
not the real Belle, and SO as late as the
22d of January the lodge prepared q
circular letter addressed to the c-ethren
throughout the country to beware OF tse
impostor Among other things they
state: The real Belle Boyd is now
married and livingin st. Louis, Mo-,
with her husband, and her mother aud
two brothers reside in Baltimore" This
letter is sigued by Alexander Parks, jr.,
w. NJ. and B. Hughes, Secretary.
On bright Sunday morning a trio,
consisting Of an aged woman, q hale,
well-lookirg man of middle age, with
deep blue eyes, light hair and sharp
Roman features, and a middle aged
woman. may be seen entering certain
church in this city. The old lady is
Belle Boyd's mother, the gentleman her
husband and the middle-aged lady is the
veritable Belle Boyd Of war times.