Home of a Spy

— Antietam Campaign —

Isabelle "Belle" Boyd, the Confederate spy, lived here during part of her childhood. The ten-year-old and her family moved here in 1853 and left in 1858 for a dwelling (no longer standing) on South Queen Street. According to Boyd, when Union Gen. Robert Patterson's army occupied Martinsburg in July 1861, she escaped prosecution aftershe shotdead a soldier who invaded the Queen Street house and insulted her mother, Mary Glen Boyd.

In the spring of 1862, Belle Boyd paid a visit to her Aunt Fanny Stewart in Front Royal, Virginia.There, on May 22, Boyd first gained fame as a spy. When Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson and hisarmy approached the town, whichwas occupied by a small Federal Garrison, Boyd walked several milesto find him and report Union troop numbers and dispositions. Federal authorities later imprisoned Boydtwice for "communicating with the enemy" then released her. In December 1863, she sailed for England on a blockade runner, bearing diplomatic letters from ConfederatePresident Jefferson Davis. When the ship was captured, Boyd persuadedthe Federal naval officer in chargeto let her go and later married him.

Her flamboyant personality, scandalous behavior (by the standards of "well-bred" Southern society), reckless courage, and undeniable charm made her a naturalfor the stage, where she recounted her exploits. In 1865, she published Belle Boyd in Camp and Prison, blurring the lines between fact and legend. Married three times and the mother of four, she died on June 11,1900 in Kilbourne, Wisconsin.

(Sidebar) Benjamin R. Boyd, Belle's father, built this Greek Revival-style house in 1853. When it was threatened with demolition in August, 1992, the Berkeley County Historical Society rescued it. The Society operates the Belle Boyd House as a museum and learning center open to the public.

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Show me all markers in:  Martinsburg, WV  |  Berkeley County  |  25401  |  West Virginia  |  United States of America

Belle Boyd House
Baltimore and Ohio Roundhouse and Shop Complex
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Shop Complex
Martinsburg Roundhouse
Berkeley Hotel
Roundhouses and Shops / Railroad Strike of 1877
Harry Flood Byrd
Girlhood Home of Belle Boyd
Market House
Welcome to the City of Martinsburg

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