Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1900-06-21
Death of Belle Boyd.

She was 81 years Of age, and known
all over the country.
Belle Boyd was born in Martinsburg,
W. Va, in May, 1914, and is descend
ed from Revolutionary ancestors. She
was at home when the Civil War
broke out, having Just returned from
school, near Baltimore.
Patterson and Cadwalader' $ armir,
from the north invaded Virginia and
swarmed around her home in Martins
burg, One of the Union soldiers, 4
drunken fellow, insulted in the gross
est language her mother, who tainted.
Belle was present and drew her pistol
and shot him. She was arrested and
carried to General Patterson's heal.
quarters and court Of inquiry was
held. Gen. Patterson said she dll
right and under the same circum-
stances he hoped every Southern g,l
would 10 the same. The incident got
into the Northern papers, and like
a white elephant. % as she expressed it,
she was pointed ont as the thousands
of troops came into town as being the
most dangerous Rebel III the country.
Jackson discovered her merit as a
spy, and gave her a permit to pass
anywhere through his lines, and she
often rode through the dark, lonely
hours Of night to carry news to Jack.
son and Stuart of the movements OF
the enemy.
She sent information she gathered
from Union officers to Gen. J. T.. b.
Stuart. She was detected once, and
an article of war read to her. but 1t
did not deter her from being mes
senger between Beauregard and jack
son. While en- route from Front
Royal to Martinsburg she was arrested
and taken to Baltimore and handed
over to General Dix, who quartercd
her at the Eutdw House, where she
vas kept a week and sent home.
Near Martiusburg she ran ont of
the Federal lines, across a field on
which battle was about to be fought,
to the Confederate lines to carry them
information. Shot and shell followed
her, but she WAS unhurt. Soon after
she was arrested as a spy, by order Of
Secretary Of War Stanton, locked Il
in the Capital Prison and court.mar-
tailed Her stay in Jail gave her an
international fame. She was finally
released and sent South.
Next she bore messages from the
Confederate government to authorities
in Europe. She ran the blockaIs but
was captured before she could get
away by the United States man-of-
war Connecticut.
She was carried to Boston and kept
a prisoner for a few days in the Tre-
mont Hotel. BY reason of her being
captured under the British flag, che
was not shot but banished. She WAS
carried to Canada, and ordered never
to put her foot on the United States
soil again or she would be shot without
trial.
A young lieutenant on the Connec-
ticut, Sam Hardinge, fell in love with
his fair captive. She got his signal
book, which she sent into the South
by way of the blockade, and then
sailed for England from Quebec on
board the Damascus, and arrived in
London, carrying all her dispatches
safely through. She was followed
across the ocean by her lover, Lieu.
tenant Hardinge, and they were mar
ried at St. James, in Piccadilly. The
Prince Of Wales attended their we'd
ding. They were afterward presented
at FIVE different foreign courts. BY
him she had one child, Grace Har-
dinge. She was left widow and
went upon the dramatic stage in
Europe and made her debut at the
Theatre Royal, in Manchester. When
the general amnesty was proclaimed
she came back to America and played
few engagements in this country
and she married Col. J. S. Hamilton,
and English ex-army Office in March,
1869. She then went 10 California,
where she was seriously III, and, on
recovering, returned East and settled
down in her home.
In 1885, in Texas. she married ber
third husband-Nat Z. High, former
ly Of Toledo, o.
A few years ago Belle Boyd took
to the lecture platform. and told the
story Of the part she played as Con-
federate SPY.
Mamms-Why did you let him kiss