Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-04-12
BELLE BOYD'S CAREER.
Tho Adventurous Life Of a Highly
Educated Young Woman.
Thrilling incidents Which Have Made flea
Name Famous In southern History
Her Matrimonial Experience
Dime Novel RomanticIsm.

Her Matrimonial Experiences
Dime Novel RomanticIsm.
Tho reported killing of "Bcllc Boyd"
the famous Confederate spy, in tho
Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory, some
time since, recalls TO the mind of every
Southcrncr the daring deeds and thrill
ing incidents which made the woman
renowned, says tho Savannah (Ga.)
News.
Daniel Ii. Kahnwcilcr, late of Kahn
weller Brothers, cotton merchants of
Wilmington. \. C., related many Incl
donts occurring in Wilmington, whore
Belle Boyd made her headquarters for
n considerable time. Mr.. kahnwcilcr
was personally acquainted with tho
famous woman. Sho was born in Mar
tinsburg, w. Va, in 1916, and lived
there until 1861. Her father was u
merchant; hor mother n handsome
woman OF good family
Tho girls associations were oXcel-
lent. She was not n pretty women, but
she attracted by her dashing and fear
less manner. Sho rode in mems clothes
ms often as shc did in her own dress.
AS Martinsburg, Va, the place OF her
birth, was most of tho time within the
Union lines, lIcllo Royd's secret sorry
ice proved invaluable to the Southern
commanders. Ilcr first work us n spy
was during n visit to tho ncighboring
town OF Winchester after war was do
clarcd. Tho dashing horscwoman
heard OF Federal movements which
threatened her beloved South" as sho
Familiarity called it, and she gallantiy
rode by night to Stoncwall Jackson's
headquarters and told him what shc
knew. From that time she was attached
to Jackson's brigade. She rode across
the battlefield Of Port Royal and carried
jackson dispatches which sent him in
pursuit Of Banks. Sho had already bo-
como the pct and pride Of tho army.
Ono time when the late jefferson
Davis wanted some worthy person to
carry some important document to
Great Britain, tho young woman APP
pliod at tho Confederate Presidents
headquarters and volunteered her scrv-
ices. 1t is said that tho President hes
sated, doubling her ability, until she
produced letters of recommendation
from Stoncwall jackson. President
Davis then armed her with the docu-
mcnt, ito deliver ut all hazards"
Tho young woman went to Whining
ton TO start on the voyage. Tho steamer
Greyhound was to leave in few days
for Nassau, and she secured passage GA
1t. The steamer carried no passengers,
but the spy succeeded in getting aboard
and went out to sea with tho crew,
leaving Wilmington harhoron tho night
OF May g lSGI. The vessel ran
smoothly, with good winds and
weather, until lato the following day,
when an accident happened to the en-
gine. The vessel sprang Il leak and be-
gan to fiji. Tho captain ordered tho
freight upon deck to be hCavCd over
board. 1t consisted OF thirty bags of
gold and 200 bales of COTTON belonging
to kahnwcilcr Bros, consigned TOD Mas
sau firm. When the money was brought
on deck every body filled his pockets
full and tho balance was thrown into
the soa. Before tho vessel was rmpticd
of it's freight the steamer Massachu-
sets ran tho Greyhound down'and took
the cotton and imprisoned tho crow.
President Lincoln ordered all of tho
prisoners court-martialcd and shot, but
aftcrward, through tho influence of
Lieutenant Harding, committed the
punishment of Belle Boyd to bansh-
ment She soon after crossed to Lon
don and created n great sensation when
she married her rGptor, Lieutenant
Harding, who followed her ovcr. They
were married August %, 1861 The
Lieutenant lived only n few months.
and after brief experience on the stage
in England Bollo Boyd returned to
America on the steamship Africa, and,
tho war over, she scttlcd in private life.
Mr.. Kahnwcilcr said that Belle
Boyd's ono ambition after her severe
blow OF boing taken by tho enemy in
tho capture Of tho Greyhound was to 20
on the stage. Shc did so, but her sue
cess did not afford enough encourage
mcnt for her to continue an actress and
she gavo 1T up. After her first husbands
death she married a Phiadclphian and
for long timo lived in tho Quaker
City. Later she won't to Texas, whore
she again married. Sho lived for
short time in Detroit, where her third
husband died. She then married sue
cessively Cole Younger, Sam Starr and
Jim Starr, tho latter two of whom are
cousins and full-blood Choctaw Indians.
Belle Boyd had two children. The
eldest, beautiful daughter, with much
Of her mothers disposition and moro
beautiful, attracted attention through
out the entire Western country Her
name is Pearl Younger.
Several years ago Belle Boyd Shot at
and wounded II man whom she charged
with improper relations with her daugh
ter. Bcllo was with her husband Sam
Starr, on their return from Fort Smith,
Ark, when an enemy named West
killed her husband, shooting him from
the roadside. Soon aftcrward Belle
married Jim Starr, n cousin of her for
mer husband. Starr was in Fort Scott
when he heard that Belle had been shot
from the roadside and killed, and he got
aquart OF whisky and left, swearing that
he would kill his wife's slayer. The re-
port Of the killing turned out to be
groundless. however, and the Confcdcr-
ate spy was unharmcd when her Indian
husband aChcd home. Another
woman OF n daring character named