At 17, she shot a Union soldier in her foyer – then became the Confederacy’s deadliest spy

Belle Boyd’s Teenage Spy Network in Martinsburg

Belle Boyd’s spy career began with a bang on July 4, 1861, when she shot a Union soldier threatening her mother at their Greek Revival mansion in Martinsburg.

Though just 17, she soon turned the Union guards placed around her home into unwitting informants.

Boyd charmed military secrets from officers, then passed them to Confederate leaders through Eliza Hopewell Corsey, an enslaved woman who carried messages in a hollowed watch case.

In May 1862, Boyd even ran across a battlefield, dodging bullets that tore her skirt, to give Stonewall Jackson crucial intelligence.

The Boyd House in Martinsburg still stands today, telling the story of this teenage spy who changed the course of Civil War battles.

A Teenage Girl Shot a Union Soldier in Her Family Home

Belle Boyd shot a Union soldier on July 4, 1861, when he threatened her mother and tried to hang an American flag over their fancy home in Martinsburg.

The 17-year-old killed him with her pistol, claiming self-defense.

Union leaders agreed the shooting was fair but put guards around the Boyd family’s home on Race Street. This event sparked Belle’s hatred for Union forces in her hometown.

Meanwhile, her father joined the Confederate 2nd Virginia Infantry Regiment in the Stonewall Brigade.

She Flirted With Guards to Get Military Secrets

Belle quickly saw how she could use the Union guards around her home to her advantage. She charmed the soldiers, focusing on Captain Daniel Keily, who fell for her sweet Southern act.

Through casual chats and flirting, she got him to share troop movements and military plans. Belle worked with Eliza Hopewell Corsey, an enslaved woman in the household who could read and write.

Eliza smuggled notes hidden in a hollow watch case past Union checkpoints. By October 1861, Confederate leaders made Belle an official courier.

Her First Spy Mission Almost Got Her Killed

Union soldiers caught Belle during her first try at gathering information. They threatened to kill her for spying but let her go without punishment.

This close call didn’t stop her. She kept working behind enemy lines, stealing medicine and supplies for Confederate soldiers throughout late 1861.

Her information helped Southern forces get ready for battles in the Shenandoah Valley. Belle got her young female friends to join her spy work since they could move around town without looking suspicious.

The Hotel Became Her Intelligence Headquarters

Belle and her mother moved to Front Royal, Virginia in early 1862, staying at her aunt’s hotel. The place turned out to be perfect for spying.

Union General James Shields and his staff held war planning meetings there.

Belle found a closet with a small hole in the floor that looked down into the parlor where officers met. She made the hole bigger to hear better.

Eliza kept carrying messages in the watch case between Front Royal and Confederate lines.

She Heard Union Plans Through a Hole in the Floor

In May 1862, Belle hid in the closet and listened through the hole while General Shields met with his staff below.

She learned that Shields planned to move his troops east from Front Royal, weakening Union defenses in the area. She also heard that Major General Nathaniel Banks wanted to attack Stonewall Jackson.

Belle knew this created a perfect chance for Confederate forces to strike. She got ready for a dangerous night ride through enemy territory.

Her Midnight Ride Carried Crucial Information

Belle used fake papers to trick her way past Union guards as she started her risky journey. She rode 15 miles through enemy land at night to find Confederate Colonel Turner Ashby.

When she reached him, she shared details about Union troop movements and the weak spot at Front Royal. Then she turned around and headed home in the dark to avoid getting caught.

Stonewall Jackson used her information to plan his attack on the weakened Union position.

She Ran Across a Battlefield While Bullets Flew

On May 23, 1862, Confederate forces attacked Front Royal under Stonewall Jackson’s command. Belle watched from her aunt’s hotel as the battle started.

She realized she had new information about Union positions that could help the Confederate attack. She ran onto the battlefield, dodging gunfire as she moved toward Confederate lines.

Union bullets tore holes in her skirt.

When she reached a Confederate officer, she told him the Yankee force was small and they should charge right away.

Stonewall Jackson Thanked Her Personally

The Confederate win at Front Royal came largely thanks to Belle’s spy work.

Stonewall Jackson wrote her a letter thanking her for the huge service she gave her country that day. He made her an honorary captain and aide-de-camp for her bravery.

The Confederate government gave Belle the Southern Cross of Honor.

Northern newspapers called her “La Belle Rebelle” and “the Siren of the Shenandoah” while Southern papers treated her like a hero.

The Feds Locked Her Up Three Times

A lover betrayed Belle on July 29, 1862, leading to her arrest on a warrant signed by Secretary of War Edwin Stanton himself. Union authorities sent her to the Old Capitol Prison in Washington D.C. for a month before trading her in a prisoner exchange.

She went back to spying and got arrested again in June 1863 in Martinsburg, now part of West Virginia. They kept her locked up until December 1863, when she got typhoid fever in prison.

Union forces arrested her six times and jailed her three times.

Her Final Mission Involved a Blockade Runner

In May 1864, Belle volunteered for a dangerous mission carrying Confederate dispatches to England aboard a blockade runner called the Greyhound.

Union naval forces intercepted the ship on May 10, 1864, off the North Carolina coast. The Union put Lieutenant Samuel Hardinge in charge of the captured vessel.

Belle worked her charm on Hardinge, who fell hard for the famous spy. She convinced him to look the other way while the Confederate captain escaped.

Hardinge paid a heavy price for helping her. The Union court-martialed him and kicked him out of the navy for aiding an enemy spy.

She Married the Union Officer Who Fell for Her Tricks

Belle escaped first to Canada and then made her way to England with help from Lieutenant Hardinge, who followed her there after his discharge. They got married in London on August 25, 1864.

While in England, Belle published her memoir “Belle Boyd in Camp and Prison” in 1865, which detailed her spy network operations. The book became popular in both England and America.

Eliza Hopewell Corsey, her loyal courier, appears in the 1870 census as a free woman living with her family back in Martinsburg.

Belle’s systematic use of enslaved couriers became a documented example of Civil War espionage operations, showing how both sides used existing social structures to gather intelligence during the conflict.

Visiting Martinsburg Historic District, West Virginia

You can explore Belle Boyd’s Greek Revival mansion at 126 East Race Street in Martinsburg for free with optional donations. The house is open daily 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for self-guided tours through Belle’s childhood and master bedrooms.

The Berkeley County Museum has rotating Civil War espionage displays. For genealogy research, visit the Archives and Research Center across the street at 136 East Race Street.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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