The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-07-14
ARnmnnce orthe War.

A few weeks ago an article appeared in
the STATESMAN stating that Mrs. Belle
Murphy. formerly Miss Belle Boyd, the
famous Confederate spy, was at WaXa-
hachie and desired to be identified, as
this distinguished parsonage, by some
one who knew her. Major Joe. Ii. Stew
art, OF this city, addressed her Il short
note. stating that during the summer OF
1868 he was 4 prisoner in the Carroll
prison at Washington, and occupied an
adjoining room to Miss Belle Boyd-that
he cut hole with n case knife, Through the
thick brick wall between the two rooms
and often saw and had sweet converse
|. with her through the knife hole in the
/ wall, and if she were the veritable
-'Rebel Spy" she would remember the de-
tails from the cell given by him. Major
Stewart received reply few days ago,
written from Corsicana, and permits us
to copy from the letter:
II was completely and as agreeably sur
|. prised to receive your letter. You ask If
| remember the knife hole in the wall,
and how it contributed TO relax the rlgol
of prison life. Yes, well do L remember
the knife hole in the wall'-a brick wall
chiseled through with an iron case knife
by you. then finished upon my side by the
knife beng passed through by you. I'M
mediately after, the same post was estab-
lished between my room and that ofMaJOT
T. Fitzhugh, of Stewards staff, and Major
Morse, of Ewell's-your room being OH
my right and theirs on my left. Its pleas
ant to revert to the conversations and the
L missives that passed through those knife
holes in the walls Think you that | can
soon forget the lonely hours in No. 6? No
7 it is picture that Will ever hang upon
| the wall of my memory. The phantoms
T. of the past rise up Ill their terrible might
L before me, and L fancy | see the grim
faces ofmy prison mates. L see the dull
10 4 n
windows, darkened by the heavy iron
l. stanchions, through which the poor luck
| less inmates, in their almost insufferabl6
| captivity, could only gaze upon those
|: walking the highways. still Tree. How
K we lOnged and wished that 1t might be
| within our power to spring through those
|. iron bars that caught and dIssipated the
7 beautiful, quaint figures of the sun thai
+ now and anon danced about our cells
/ And at midnight the loud shrek of thu
l. owl was far more musical and less OminOu'
| of evil than the sentry's hated and meas
I ured tread. Doubtless you remember MIR
/ Wood, keeper of prisoners. and his pie
/ bian extraction. of which he seemed
| greatly to pride himself. On my arriva
| at the old capitol. Wood said, Il am glaC
/ to have so distinguished parsonage 10
I my @Uest-cOme. I'll honor you with No
E6.' The rusty hinges Ofthe door crehke6
! and, Ill my young maidenhOod and soil
Il
my prison cell, and the cruel door swung
| to and the lock bolt gave q horrible thus
and the young. and almost untledget
bird had found Il cruel cage. That pas
| Is like the folds of Il vast curtain-closini
| for a moment, then opening aSaln-and
oh God, such view! | never can forge
it. | loved the cause ! embarked in, en-
dured and suffered much-and since thu
flag was furled ut AppomattOX- my wa!
| of life has not been strewn with dallodIl
| and roses. Sometimes | have wished tina
| | was in the beautiful presence OF Stone
| wall jackson and Lee-lmmOrtal Christian
| heroes. What is life without its light
bereft Of the flame, we only retain a spark
| L love all the dead heToes-we watch u
| get single glimpse of their graceful
| forms-wc feel for the touch ola vanished
hand and listen for voices that only speal
TO risen death. They are liberated and
| think / see distant hand that Will lIf
the burden from my heart and leave mi
| free. | have embarked in full accOun
of my truly eventful life, but 1t is offer
with difficulty | can write because of my
painful finger, broken by the bayonet off
! guard at the Carroll prison. While il
| Texas / shall travel with 'DlOtdH
semper lberi' as my motto regardless
of any ones opinion. for there is not thu
| slightest of rrdiSembIdBce in what they say
| Miss Belle BOvd was born and reared a
| Charlestown, Virginia, and made herself
| famous as the Rebel Spy She was about
| eighteen ut the time she writes of wheI
| she and Major Stewart were prison mates
land he. too. was quite boy. Tha
| 'knife hole in the wall had an OvercOa
hung over it on one side and silk dres:
on the other, TO prevent the officers or th'
prison from interfering with the happy
prison diversion and opportunity for love
making between the soldier and the gen
tie sDY.