The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-06-16
BELLE BOYD DEAD.
Was Famous Woman Spy Who Held
Commission as Captain in cOnfed-
srnta Army.

Was Famous Woman Spy Who Held
Commission as Captain in confed-
crate Army.
New York Times: The sudden death
in Xiibourne. Wis. on Monday, of Belle
Boyd, the noted spy of the confeaerates
recalls another leaf in the history of
the civil war. 1t recalls the thrill the
danger, the trlumphs, the reverses, the
many ups and downs in the life of the
most determined woman foe the union
ever had Little has been heard OF
Belle Boyd In recent years, and TO the
present generation her name recalls
nothing; but the time was when that
name caused many secret council at
army camps and many plan was
Matched to place its owner whore she
could not add to the harm she had
doEe.
Living only in her undying love for.
the cause of the south, and debarred
byher sex from carrying muslses, she
dedicated to the confederate army the
only weapons that she possessed-a
woman's beauty and woman's wIles.
But recently out of school when the
war began, she flung to the winds ev-
erythIng that was dear that she might
help the flag OF her choice, and her dar-
Ing exploits and services TO the confed-
crate army became familiar to the
whole world. During her career she
was twice sentenced to be shot, and for
eleven months was prisoner in the
old Carroll and Capitol prisons in
Washington. with indomitabla viii she
kept in the struggle, however, until 1864
when, while trying to run the blockade
with important dispatches. she was
captured ana banished from the country
by President Lincoln.
So highly did stonewall Jackson value
her services that after his defeat
OF General Banks on May %. 1862. he
sent her this note: Miss Belle Boyd
/ thank you for myself and for the army
for the Immense service that you have
rendered your country to-day"
Her whole career was one Of romance
and adventure. Born in Mardnsburg'
Va, now West Virginia, in May, lSi3'
she was related to number Of the
most noted families of Virginia. The
Hon. Charles ]. Faulkner. minister to
France under the Buchanan admins
tratIon, father OF United States Senator
Faulkner, Of West Virginia, and Judge
John Blair Hoge, United States attor-
ney for the district of Columbia. during
the Cleveland administration, werr her
cousins. She had Just finished her cd
ucation in Mount Washington Female
College. in Baltimore, Md, when the
war broke out. Her whole soul was
with the confederate cause. Her resi-
dence within thu federal lines and her
acquaintance with many union officers
enabled her to gain much important
information regarding the position and
designs OF the enemy. She regularly
committed this to paper, and when OPP
portunlty offered dispatched TO the
nearest confederate commander.
In n hundred ways the 17year-old
r,rI was able to outwIt many federal
oIllcers whose gaiiantry got the better
NJ their discretion. The flowers and
poetry Of her many epaulettel admir-
ers In the hated blue she KEPT: but all
of the Information Of value watch they
indlsoreetly dropped she Immediately
dispatched to her countrymen In gray.
General Shields, OF the union army.
WINS auartered at her house, aud when
hp held a council OF war she lay on the
floor Of her chamber above with her
car to a hole, and, taking down every
word. sent It TO General Jackson, and
thereby helped to win a great battle.
Very soon afterward her actions were
suspected by the federal officers and
she was arrested. but she soou tlrtcd
her way to liberty. Acting upon Gen
eral Jackson's advice she removed to
winchester in the summer of 1852, and
{, was there and then that she received
her commission as captain and honor
able aide to the general aud thence
forth enjoyed the respect paid to IN Of
deer. Upon the occasion Of the r1vlc'
OF ths troops in the presence Of Lord
Harrington and Colonel L-si2, and
again when General WlcoS's division