Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-10-15
BELLE BOYD, THE SPY.
The story OF Her Services to the Con-
fcderacy as She Tells Il Herself.
Bcr Capture AT Sea. nnd the isomaRec that
Followed it Why she Is Here.


woman who can relate as remarkable
q llie-histgry as ANY woman living, proba-
BIS, appeared before The Chicago public
yesterday as complainant ina libel suit
against tie Tribune. ON September so
that PAPER published a dispatch from ST.
LOuls stating that Belle BOYD, the Com
fcdcrafc spy, had put up al Hursts
hotel, but had gone from there 10 the
ST. james, leaving her trunk az the
former hotel. TIC article lid not
state that she had eludcd a bOard-bll,
hut left that % DC inferred, and iacctious-
~ described the contents OF the trunk,
which was opened BY the people az the
Hurst hOnsc. The mention OF pair OF
old corsets, a slipper, plug OF tobacco
and 'fiOd Bless our Home" motto az
the only contents OF the trunk inceused
the lady, and she sued for $1,000 dam
ages. Belle Boyd, OF Mrs. Hammond,
for that Is the name under which she
brings the suit, was seen ihls
morning st the Revere house
BY Mail reporter. She is a woman uf
tail and graceful FORM aud face still
youthful and bearing much Of the beauty
which it possessed when It's owner be-
came famous during the war al am OPP.
posed, " she said, 'to the newspapers pub
fishing nv private affairs with the object
OF making me ridiculous. Not only has
hat story. which was entirely false,
wounded my pride but II has done me
great injury here and elsewhere. If am
poor" and the lady's blue eyes filed with
tears, at is not my fault. IL was a mat
Ter between the hotel people and myself"
Of her career, which made the name Of
Belle Boyd famous the world over, She
said. 81 came of wcll-knoWn family Of
Virginia, and although my father was not
wealthy, be was IN prosperous circum-
stances, and his family connections were
among the best in the state When the
war began was girl of fifteen, Just out
OF school and enthusiastic In my love for
my country, the South. When Banks
came down into Virginia was within the
1nion lines, having left my home at Mar
tinsburg. ] gave StoncwaIt Jackson muah
which no doubt greatly as
sisted him in driving Banks ont Of the
valley. was captured and taken to
Washington, but they had no evidence
against me, or perhaps they admired
my GOODNESS and check. 1t any rate,
they did not shoot me as a spy when |
was cOurt-martialcd, and indeed what |
had done. was not done In the conscious
ness that ! was spy | only wanted TO
help my people. | was exchanged for
union colonel and when got back to the
army | received an enthusiastic
reception. In 1864 was sent TO Eng
land with dispatches from the confeder-
lle government and ran the blockade in
the Greyhound. | was captured at sea
with my dispatches, the Greyhound hay- .
ng been run down hy the Connecticut
under command Of Lieut.. Harding The
iputenaut fell in love with me and ucr- I
nittcd the captain of the Greyhound 10
scape. ! was brought to Washington
tgaln prisoner, but was banished
- Canada, TO be shot the next time
was caught. Lieut. Harding was
'owt-martialcd and dismissed from the
service. He came to England and the.
same summer, 1864, we were married In
London. / received the most distin.
1uishcd attentions there. After | was
cit widow in England went on the
'tagc. In 1867 / made my first appear
lnoc IN America with Ben De Bar, and .
after That starred two seasons Then | /.
married Col. Hammond at New Orleans,
nd lived quietly in Texas until little /.
over year ago. Col. Hammond Is now
afflicted with soltening of the brain, and /
am compelled to support myself and
hrec children. intend 60 return 10 The .
stage aud make a name for myself yet"
Miss Boyd has an engagement with .
Professor company 20 play Miss Eli .
DIT, and Is waiting to join the company