Home > American Civil War > Belle Boyd Biography

Born 1843 or 1844
Martinsburg, Virginia (now West Virginia)
Died 1900
Kilborn, Wisconsin

Confederate spy known as
"Cleopatra of the Secession"

Belle Boyd was one of the most famous Confederate spies of the Civil War, but not necessarily one of the most successful. She carried information to Confederate general Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (1824–1863; see entry) that helped him win battles in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley in 1862. But Boyd loved the thrills of spying and basked in the attention she received as a spy. As a result, she became less effective over time and eventually lost much of her value to the Confederate cause.

Home state changes loyalties

Belle Boyd was born in Martinsburg, Virginia, in 1843. This was a time of great political tension in the United States. For years, the...