Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-21
BELLE BOYD,
The Far-Famed Spy of the Last War in
st. Louis-On the Way to Chicago to
Place Her Daughter In a Seminary.

| Il ne arr ameu spy OF the Last war In
st. Louis-On the Way to Chicago to
Place Her Daughter in a Seminary.
! Among the arrivals at the Union depot
| yesterday morning, says the st. Louis
Republican of Aug. u, were Mrs.
| j. s. Hammond and daughter, of Dallas,
| Texas. Under this name the lady is I'M
known almost to the world. Mrs. Ham,
mond is no less parsonage than "Belle
| Boyd" the famous Confederate spy.
''Belle Boyd" during the war was one
of the most noted characters of the coun-
try's history, and her exploits were full of
| daring and cunning. She was born and
| in the Shenandoah valley, Virginia,
| reared on a farm, or rather plantation.
When mere child she evinced a marked
fOndness for outdoor life and masculine
sports, and was what the world calls a
''Tom boy" Nothing pleased her so much
as horse race, a hunt or fox chase. She
had passed her Goth year when the war
broke out. Being Southern, of a wild,
daShing, courageous and partisan nature,
intensely Southern in her feelings, she
felt as though she must do something for
the "cause." She had taken such prOmi-
nent part in local affairs that she could
not remain at home with safety, and at
last sought shelter in Confederate camp.
She then began her career as a spy, and
soon developed into a most wonderful
character. Her exploits were MANY and
of most daring and romantic nature. At
| the close of the war she was married to
| Col. j. 5. Hammond, Confederate, who
| served in Gen. Lees command. Ham
mOnd was member of a distinguished
| Southern family, and made good soldier.
Hammond was the possessor of consider
| able means, and some years ago settled
near Dallas, Texas, where he farmed on
! a rather large scale. A few years ago
| the HammOnds removed to Dallas, and
II. NJ. Hammond took prominent posi-
| tiOn with the BradstTeet Commercial
! agency. The famous ''Belle Boyd" had
| almost dropped from the minds of
| the public, until brought forth
on Aug. 3, by the an
| nOUncement through the Republican that
| Hammond mad created an intense sensa-
| ton on the streets Of Dallas by assault
| ing Ray Shepherd, young lawyer of
| that town, charging him with undue fa-
miliarity with his wife. Shepherd was
| severely punished by Hammond. Ham
mOnd made many and most serious
charges against Mrs. Hammond, declar-
ing her guilty of spending money eXtrava-
gantly, and running him in debt with a
recklessness simply unbearable. Mrs
| the 4th, the day following the street fight,
Mrs. Hammond filed her petition, charg-
| ing Hammond with jealousy, brutal treat
ment, etc.
81 have left him, and for good" re-
marked Mrs. Hammond to a gentleman at
the Union depot yesterday. Eve have
not lived happily together for some years.
He =was jealous of me, and became
cross and grabbed, and rendered me most
miserable. l have sued for a divorce, ali
mOny and the custody of our four chill
dren."
Mrs. Hammond is about As years of
age, feet inches high, and of
handsome figure. She has bright rest
less and expressive grey eye, fair of fea-
lures and has a suit of red hair, which
she wears in a very plain manner. She
is a pronounced blonde and a woman
whose physiognOmy is of a striking
character. Her manners are very attrac-
tive and her conversational powers are
excellent. She is what is termed a good
talker, having seen muche of the world
and been a close observer. She has four
children, the eldest a handsome daughter
of IS, now at a Southern seminary. The
eldest daughter is said to bear striking
resemblance to her mother, possessing
many of the features that have rendered
the mother notorious. Accompanying
Mrs. Hammond was her 12-year-Old
daughter, handsome girl, who will be
placed in a female school in Chicago.
Mrs. Hammond spent some months in
Europe at the close of the war, and en-
jOyed many steeplechases with the Prince
of Wales and other nOtables of the Old
World.