Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-08-09
"Belle Boyd.v
From the Philadelphia Record.1

| Sitting last evening on the porch of a
comfortable residence in the extreme
northwestern section of the city, with
a sweet little miss of three and another
of seven summers, playing hide and
seek around her chair, was q lady who
score of years ago bore an interna-
tional reputation. Few, if any, of those
who knew her once would now recog-
nize in the handsome, well preserved
woman of commanding presence and
high. bred bearing, with complexion
like rose and lily combined, q wealth
of sunny, chestnut brown hair, spark
| ling eyes, a sweet, mobile mouth, and q
face capable of most varying expression
the vivacious, daring girl who in war
times had but one name, and that
"Belle Boyd, the Confederate spy"
The story of Belle Boyd's life reads
like romance. Born in Virginia of
good old cavalier stock, she had barely
graduated and made her debut in Wash.
ington society when the war COM
menced, and her father, with several
other of her kindred, took up arms in
the Confederate cause. When General
Robert Patterson with his troops en-
tered Martinsburg, her native place.
she was acting the part of the minister
ing angel to the wounded in the inn pro-
vised hospital. While engaged in these
duties many scraps of information con-
cerning the movements of the Federal
army came to her ears, and thus it was
that, with an impulsiveness and ardor
due largely to her youth, she entered
upon the task with which her name be-
came so prominently identified.
Several ladies of the place, who had
also been picking up scraps of news,
held meeting at her house, the items
were punched together, put upon paper
and the document placed in the hands
of q trusty colored servant for trans
mission to General Jackson. This went
on safely for some time, until one day
the messenger was captured by the
Federal pickets and compelled to dis
close his mission. ThereupOn "Belle
Boyd" was arrested, taken before Gen.
eral Robert Patterson, enlightened as
to the nature and penalties of the arti-
cles of war, and finally placed under
espionage during the remainder of the
Generals stay in town.
From this time onward she devoted
herself to the task of furnishing infor.
nation to the supporters of the Lost
Cause. Scores of times she was placed
under temporary arrest, and on two oc-
casiOns she was incarcerated for months
in the Old Capitol and Carroll prisons
at Washington. Oftentimes she was
found in the middle of the hottest fights,
but although on many occasions her
clothing was literally riddled with bull
lets, she Invariably escaped personal
| injury. 1t is related of her that on one
occasion, when taken prisoner, she was
taken before General Butler at Fortress
Monroe. Observing her agitation, Ben
remarked:
"Pray be seated. But why do you
tremble SO? Are you frightened ?'
mo, ah-that is. yes, General Butler
must acknowledge that I do feel
frightened in the presence of man OF
such worldwide reputation as your
SELF" was her reply.
"What do you mean ?" remarked the
General, as he rubbed his hands tqgeth.
er and smiled benignly.
II mean, General Batter" she re-
piled, THAT you are q man whose afro
cious conduct and brutality, especially
to Southern ladies, is so Infamous that
even the British Parliament commented
upon it. I naturally feel alarmed al
being in your presence"
With rage depicted upon every linea.
ment of his features the General arose
from the table, and ordered her to be
taken from the room.
During her residence in Washington
belle Boyd" formed an intimate &C.
quaintance with President Lincoln
and friendly correspondence was kept
up between the two during greater
portion of the war. On one occasion
her letter paper was adorned with the
| Confederate motto, snake entwined
around Confederate flag, and the in.
scriptiOn: Don't tread on us, or we
will bite" When Lincoln replied tc
the missive, he sent back the motto
with "bite" erased and the word "bust'
substituted.
Broken down in health and bereaved
by the loss of her father, who had died
in the endeavor to effect her release
from captivity. "Belle Boyd" determ.
lned to leave for foreign shores, and in
May, 1854, she embarked on the Grey.
hound at North Carolina az the bearer
of important dispatches from Jefferson
Davis and Judah p. Benjamin to the
friends of the cause in London. In
endeavoring to run the blockade, how.
ever, the Greyhound wac captured by q
United States steamer. "Belle Boyd''
was taken to Boston, kept a prisoner
for some time, and finally banished tc
Canada. From there she went to Eng.
land, where she PASSED the seconG
epoch of her life. She was married al
the aristocrrtic church at st. James
Picadilly, received with open arms in
titled society, became widow, anG
finally, having natural talent for ths
theatrical profession, took to the stage
Probably no person in the country