********* THIS CONFEDERATE ARMY CAPTAIN WORE A SKIRT ********** Belle Boyd (1843-1900) served as a spy for the Confederate Army in the Shenandoah Valley. Isabella 'Belle' Boyd was born in Martinsburg, in what is now West Virginia. Like many women, she participated in many fund-raising activities at the outbreak of the Civil War to support the Confederacy. After Union troops occupied Martinsburg in 1861, however, Boyd was able to aid the Confederacy in ways that most women did not.
Boyd operated as a Confederate spy, using her father’s hotel in Front Royal as a cover. She was especially useful during the Spring campaign of 1862, providing Generals Stonewall Jackson and Turner Ashby with valuable information. She had overheard Union officers discussing their plans to withdraw and destroy the town’s bridges Jackson rewarded her loyalty by making her a captain and an honorary aide-de-camp. She continued to spy openly for the Confederate Army.
She was arrested on July 29, 1862 and held in the Old Capitol Prison in Washington DC for a month. Part of a prisoner exchange program, she was sent into exile to live with relatives upon her release. She was again arrested in June of 1863. Suffering from typhoid, she was released. Six months later the Confederacy sent her to Europe as a courier. She was to deliver letters from Jefferson Davis. The union captured the blockade runner before she could complete her mission. Union officer Samuel Hardinge, placed aboard as prize master, fell in love with Boyd. Following his discharge from the Navy for allowing the captain of the blockade runner to escape, they married in England in August 1864. Hardinge died in 1865, and Boyd continued to live in England until 1866. In England, she published her memoirs and began a career as an actress and, later, a lecturer. She died in Wisconsin while touring on a speaking engagement.
*** Read more about interesting people of the Civil War in our "Biographies" section at: http://www.ehistory.com/uscw/features/people/list.cfm
*********************** PICTURE SEARCH ************************
The old adage "a picture is worth a thousand words" is certainly true when it comes to the American Civil War. It was, after all, history's first 'photographed' conflict. And there are many more surviving images than we realize.
Enjoy eHistory's new feature, which is an easy-to-use "search" of our large database of scanned Civil War images. These images can be searched by specific categories such as Battles, Periodicals, Miller's Photographic History, People and Keywords.
*** Search our picture/photo database at: http://www.ehistory.com/uscw/library/pictures/PictureSearch/index.cfm
********************* "WHO AM I?" *****************************
My men still say my death was treachery. During an attack, thirty-five Union soldiers laid down their arms to surrender. When I rode up, five of them picked up their rifles and five bullets pierced my body. My men then shot down all of the Union soldiers. That's their account, and the fact remains that on that day in April of 1864,my service to the Confederacy came to a shattering end.
We were in line of battle near Mansfield, poised to stop Banks' drive on Shreveport. My commander ordered an attack, even though needed reinforcements had not arrived. Our nine thousand men hit the enemy's column of almost twenty thousand shattering division after division and sending them in panic stricken flight. The end of Banks' campaign was near, and only an inspired engineering feat saved his forces from destruction.
(a.) Who am I ?? (b.) The battle had several names, including Mansfield. Give another of the names, but be careful you don't confuse it with another battle further west. (c.) Banks' campaign was a joint army-navy venture. Who was in command of the Union Naval forces? (d.) Name the overall confederate commander at the battle.
Just a reminder of how much fun our weekly trivia contest can be, and if the answers get too tough, they can always be found on our site...we even give you clues about where to find them!
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