Belle Boyd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Belle Boyd
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| Born |
Isabella Maria Boyd
May 9, 1844 Martinsburg, Virginia (now West Virginia), US
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| Died | June 11, 1900 (aged 56) |
| Other names | Belle Boyd, Cleopatra of the Secession, Siren of the Shenandoah, La Belle Rebelle, Rebel Joan of Arc |
| Occupation | Confederate Spy |
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Isabella Maria Boyd (born May 9, 1844 – died June 11, 1900), known as Belle Boyd, was a brave Confederate spy during the American Civil War. People called her names like the Cleopatra of the Secession or Siren of the Shenandoah. She worked from her father's hotel in Front Royal, Virginia. In 1862, she gave very important information to Confederate General Stonewall Jackson.
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Early Life of Belle Boyd
Isabella Maria "Belle" Boyd was born on May 9, 1844, in Martinsburg, Virginia. This area is now part of West Virginia. She was the oldest child of Benjamin Reed and Mary Rebecca (Glenn) Boyd. Belle said her childhood was very happy. After going to school in Martinsburg, she attended a special school for young ladies in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1856 when she was 12 years old.
How Belle Became a Spy
Belle Boyd's journey as a spy started by accident. In July 1861, some Union soldiers came to her home. They heard she had Confederate flags in her room. One soldier was rude to her mother. Belle, feeling very angry, used a pistol. An investigation later cleared her of any wrongdoing.
After this, soldiers watched her closely. But Belle was clever. She became friendly with some officers. She wrote in her memories that one officer, Captain Daniel Keily, gave her important information. She would then send these secrets to Confederate officers. She used a special hollowed-out watch case to hide the messages.
Helping General Jackson
In May 1862, Belle learned that Union General James Shields and his team were meeting in a hotel. Belle hid in a closet and listened through a small hole. She found out that General Shields's troops were leaving Front Royal.
That night, Belle bravely rode through Union lines. She used fake papers to get past the guards. She then told Colonel Turner Ashby, a Confederate scout, the important news. She went back to town. When Confederate soldiers attacked Front Royal on May 23, Belle ran to meet Stonewall Jackson's men. Bullets even hit her skirt! She told an officer to tell Jackson that the Union army was small. She urged him to "charge right down and he will catch them all."
Jackson followed her advice. He later wrote a thank-you note to Belle. He said she had done an "immense service" for her country. For her help, she received the Southern Cross of Honor. Jackson also made her an honorary captain.
Arrests and Later Life
Belle Boyd was arrested many times, at least six times, but she always found a way to get out. In July 1862, Union officials finally caught her. They took her to the Old Capitol Prison in Washington, D.C.. She was held for about a month. She was released in August 1862 as part of a prisoner exchange. She was arrested again in June 1863 but was let go because she became very sick.
In 1864, Belle tried to travel to England. A Union ship stopped her, and she was sent to Canada. There, she met a Union naval officer named Samuel Wylde Hardinge. They got married in England and had a daughter named Grace. After her husband died in 1866, Belle became an actress in England to support her daughter.
Belle and her daughter later returned to the United States. Belle performed on stage using the name Nina Benjamin. She married John Swainston Hammond in 1869. They had four children, but their first son died as a baby. Belle divorced Hammond in 1884. She then married Nathaniel Rue High in 1885. After this, she traveled around the country. She gave exciting talks about her life as a spy during the Civil War.
Belle Boyd's Final Years
Belle Boyd wrote a book about her war experiences called Belle Boyd in Camp and Prison. It was a very dramatic story. She passed away from a heart attack on June 11, 1900, in Kilbourn City, Wisconsin (now Wisconsin Dells). She was 56 years old.
Belle was buried in the Spring Grove Cemetery in Wisconsin Dells. Even members of the Grand Army of the Republic, a Union veterans group, helped carry her coffin. For many years, her grave simply read:
- BELLE BOYD
- CONFEDERATE SPY
- BORN IN VIRGINIA
- DIED IN WISCONSIN
- ERECTED BY A COMRADE
See also
- American Civil War spies
- Hattie Lawton
- Kate Warne
