Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-02-13
THE REAL BELLE BOYD
STORY OF HBR REMARKABLE CAREER AS
TOLD BY HERSELF.
A Rebel Spy-Thrice Sentenced to Death and
Thrice Marned-Hsr Career as an Actress
Now Mrs. Nat. High, Lecturer,
Greensburg, Pa.

GREENsBURG, Pa, February 12.-Belle
Boyd returned to this place last night.
She is about five feet five, with reddish
golden hair and an aoquiline nose. Her
identity as Belle Boyd, the rebel spy of
Martinsburg, Va, is fully established
here, and leaves no room for doubt.
The following is her story: She was born
in Martinsburg, Berkeley comfy, now
West Virginia, on the 9th day of May,
1s43. Her pOthsr was Mary Glenn Boyd,
a daughter of Capt. James Glenn, an army
officer. Her father was Benjamin Read
Boyd, of Ma1tinsbnrg. 81 am that Belle
Boyd" said she 81 was educated at the
Mt. Washington Female College, Balti-
more county, Md. had Just left school
when war was declared, and entered
heart and soul into the CAUSE of the South
Of my exploits aud services to the COnfed-
crate army the country is familiar. Dur
ing my career as the rebel spy was eleven
months prisoner in the old Capitol and
Carroll prisons at Washington, and twice
sentenced to be SHOT.
In May, 1854, ran the blockade with
important dispatches, was captured and
finally banished by President Lincoln. l
sailed for England on the 25th day of Au-
gust, 1864, WAS married ct st. James
Church, Piccadilly, to Lieut.. Sam Wylde
Harding, of the United States Navy. He
was the son of Capt. Harding, of Brooklyn,
n. Y. made my debut SIS an actress at
the Theatre Royal, Manchester, England,
under Walter Montgomery, in May, 1866.
AFTER the general amnesty wss pro-
claimed 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
Af.er starring under his management for
some time, Joined the etock company Of
Bates & Miles, at Cincinnati, o., under the
name of Nina Benjamin. Going from
there 70 Galveston, Tex, for the Green
wall Brothers, closed at Houston, as Col.
Tom Ochiltree will remember. went to
Austin, Tex, with himself, Maj. Malone
and Mr.. Derossitte, to help put bill
through the celebrated Blsck-and-Ian
Legislature. then went as stock star to
Bdwelps Academy of Music, New 0rlesns.
Thsre, on the 17th day of March 1869, l
was married to Col. John Swainston Ham
mond by Rev. DE-. Leacoek, of Christie
Church, and left the stage.
'My health was failing and went with
my husband to California. Just previous
20 the birth of my little son my mind gave
way and ms child was born in the asylum
for the insane at Stockton, Cal. My hoy
was buried there. was brought to Mount
Hope, near Baltimore, and placed under
the care Of DR.. Stokes. There l made
rapid recovery and was soOn discharged.
"While i'll l was reported dead. One or
two women endeavored to personste me,
but were never to any degree successful,
though causing me much annoyance.
Col Hammond having accepted position
with Wright, Gillis & Bros, of New York,
yvo lived for severel yea,s il Utica. Here
ny daughter Byrdie, now fourteen, was
born. In 1875 we went to St. Louis, Col.
Hammond being with Bennett, ScheDck
q Earl. We returned to Baltimore in 1877,
where my daughter Belle was born. We
moved to Philadelphia in 1873. My little
son Eddie was born there. We went TO
Chicago in 1882 and to Dallas, Tex, in
October, 1888.
cat Waxahachie and COrsicans, Tex,
woman who, for some months had repre-
sented herself as Belle Boyd, and was
known in private life as Mrs. Murphy ire
fer to Col. Gsrrity, banker, Corsicana), on
nv arrival left the State and went, it is
reported, to Cedar Keys, Fla. In Texas
had much trouble. There are private sor-
rows which the world should not demand.
Sufficient to say that, IN November, 1884,
in Dallas I obtained an absolute divorce
from Col. Hammond and the Court gave
me our three children.
"On the 9th of January, 1885, was
married to Nat X. High, the actor, and Il
son of the late Rev. n. K. High, of Toledo. |
With Mr.. High, went on the road, giving |
dramatic recitations in costume. In Febru-
sry, 1886, at the Peoples Theatre, Toledo,
o., under the patronage OF prominent G. |
4. X. people, gave the first Iecitsl OF my |
life as a rebel spy, and scored an unquali-
fed success. Since then l have lectuTed |
with the G. A. r. throughout the North |
west. During this time l have lived in
Detroit, Mich, Davenport, Ia, and Park
ersburg, w. Va.
my fret lecture in the South was given
in the Academy of Music, Norfolk, on tho
18th day of May last, for the benefit OF the
Buchanan Camp of Confederate
Veterans. have in my possession letter
with the official seal of the Camp attached,
fully identifying me, and now refer TO
them. made, last summer, a tour of
Virginia and the Lursy and Shenandoah |
valleys, and arrived in Huntington, w.
VS., last August, to attend the Democrat
ic Convention. l came into Pennsylvania
last November, after the election, and
have been and an now lecturing with G..
A. r. posts under the management Of my
husband. 1 make my headquarters at
Grsensburg, Pa. On these facts l stand
and subscribe myself Belle BOyd-Ham-
mond-Higb, Belle Boyd, the rebel spy.'