Front Royal - Belle Boyd Cottage

After going to Warren Riffle Museum Ms. Edwards and I went to the Belle Boyd Cottage. The cottage was originally in a different location. It had to be moved to save the house from being torn down. Belle Boyd was not raised in the house shown below. It belonged to her Uncle and Aunt. She came to this house after running into some trouble in her hometown of Martinsburg Virginia (West Virginia now). Her father was away fighting in the Civil War. Belle Boyd was a southern sympathizer who was known to have a confederate flag in her house. Union soldiers decided to go to the house and hang an American flag. The Union soldiers and Belle's mother got into an argument and one of the soldiers either pushed her or there was a struggle of some kind. Belle's mother fell down. Belle shot and killed the Union soldier that was responsible for pushing her mother down. Belle was arrested and was eventually put under house arrest. She was able to talk her way out of further charges.





Belle's family sent her to live with her aunt and uncle in Front Royal. Their hope was that she would stay out of trouble. Belle had a way of getting involved in things though. Belle became a spy for the Confederate army and was instrumental in the Battle of Front Royal. She was also instrumental in getting one of her aunt and uncle's borders arrested. A reporter from the New York Times was living in one of the spare rooms. Belle supposedly locked him in his bedroom and he was caught by trying to get out his window using his bed sheets. He was arrested and put in a southern jail.





Belle will later be arrested herself for being a spy. She will be put into prison in Washington DC. She will eventually be released. Belle Boyd will become an actress after the war. She will marry three times. Her first husband will be an union soldier who dies. Her second husband was John Swainston Hammond. They will have four children together. Her third husband was Nathanial Rue High. Belle Boyd will die from typhoid fever while touring in Kilbourne City, Wisconsin. She was buried in Wisconsin. The Historical Society that is connected with the Belle Boyd Cottage has tried to bring her back to Virginia.