Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-02-22
A FAMOUS CONFEDERATE SPY
THE STORY or 4 REMARK
ABLE CAREER.

ul NllU lut ADldll
She was born IN Martinsbnrg,
Berkeley county, now West Vir-
ginia, on the 9th day of May, 1913.
Her mother was Mary eileen Boyd,
daughter OF Capt. James Glenn,
an army officer. Her father was
Benjamin Read Boyd, of Martins
burg. 81 am that Belle Boyd"
said she. 81 was educated at the
Mt. Washington Female College,
Baltimore county, Nd. | had just
lett school when war was declared,
and | entered heart and soul into
the cause of the South. OF my ex-
PLOTS and services to the Confed.
crate army the country IS familiar.
During my career as the rebel spy
/ was eleven months a prisoner In
the old Capitol and Carroll prisons
at Washington, and twice SEN
fenced to be Shot.
"In May, 1864, I ran the blockade
with important dispatches, was
captured and finally banished by
President Lincoln. | sailed for
England on the Goth day of August,
1864; married at St.James' Church,
PIccadily, to Lieut.. Sam Wylde
Harding, of the United States
navy. He was the son of Capt.
Harding, of Brooklyn, y. y. l
made my debut as an actress at
the Theatre Royal, Manchester,
England, under Walter Montgom'
cry, in May, 1866.
"After the general amnesty was
proclaimed by President Johnson
returned to America and made my
first appearance here, under the
management of John p. Smith, at
Ben De Bars Theatre, st. Louis
After starring under his manage
ment for some time | joined the
stock company of Bates " Miles
AT Cincinnati, o., under the name
of Nina Benjamin. Going from
there 20 Galveston, Texas, for the
Greenwall Brothers, | closed al
Houston, as Col. Tom Ochlltret
will remember. | went to Austin
Texas. with himself, Maj. Malone
and Mr.. Derossitte to help put q
bill through the celebrated Black
ahd.Tan Legislature. | then wen'
as stock star to Bidwel's Academy
Of Music, New Orleans. There, Oh
the 18th day of March, 1869, | was
married to Col. John Swalnstor
Hammond, by Rev. DR.. Leacock
of Christ Church, and LETT the
stage.
"NIy health was failing and
went with my husband to Califor
MIA. Just previous to the birth o
nv little son my mind gave way
and my child was born IN the asy
/ lnm for the insane at Stockton
Cal. My boy was buried there.
was brought to Mount Hope, nea
Baltimore. and placed under thu
care of DR.. Stokes. There | mad'
rapid recovery and was soon dis
charged.
"While i'll | was reported lead
One or two women endeayored t
personate me, but were never t
anv degree successful, though caus
ing me much annoyance. Col
Hammond having accepted a posl
tion with Wright, Gillis Il Bros
New York, we lived for severa
wears in Utica. Here my daughte
Byrdie, now fourteen, was born. L
1875 we went to st. Louis, 20
Hammond being with Benne'
Schenck & Earl. We returned t
Baltimore in 1877, where m
daughter Belle was born. W
moved to Philadelphia IN 1878. Nj
little son Eddie was born ther'
We went to Chicago in 1882 an
to Dallas, Tex, in October, 1883.
"At Waxahachie and COrsicani
Tex. woman who for some month
had represented herself as Bel
BOYD, and was known in prlva'
life as Mrs. Murphy, (refer to 20
f Garrity, banker, Corsicana,) on IN
, arrival left the State and went,
is reported, to Cedar Keys, Fla
, I'm Texas | had much trouble
: There are private sorrows whlc
the world should not demand. Su
t fcient to say that, in Novemoe
| 1884, in Dallas, obtained an a
y solute divorce from Col. Hammon'
and the court gave me our thr'
children.
! son the Jth of January, $780,
was married to Nat. X. High, u
actor. and a son of the late Rev.
. r. High, Of Toledo. With NJ
:. High went on the road, glylr
0 dramatic recitations I'm costume.
;, In February, 1886, at the People
= Theatre, Toledo, Ohio, under Il
= patronage of prominent IT, a.
" people, gave the first recital
d nv life as a rebel spy, and scor'
= an unqualified success. since I'M
= have lectured with the &. A.
throughout the Northwest Durll
this time | have lived in Detro
!. Mich, Davenport, Ia, and Parker
burg, W. Va.