Lt. (Although Shoulder/Cuff Braids Indicate Captain) Greenwall

[Zuzah]

Bell Boyd wrote a letter to the newspapers in 1869, describing the incident of 1868, but mentions no pistol play. She says she was fired, and that Morris made improper advances to her in her dressing room. It's pretty funny, so I may transcribe it. Miss Boyd also alleged that Morris laid low in Mexico during the war and claimed to be on whichever side seemed to be winning at the time.

**** fine detective work if I've ever seen it Terry, Holmes himself would be proud.

 

[TerryB]

**** fine detective work if I've ever seen it Terry, Holmes himself would be proud.

Almost as good as your colorizing work!

 

[TerryB]

One way to travel by ship was the same way Colonel Fremantle, did. He didn't run the blockade, but made for Matamoros, Mexico, after which he crossed the border into Brownsville. This sounds like what Greenwall may have done. And he could do the reverse to get out of Texas and travel to New York.

 

[TerryB]

Belle Boyd's "spicy" letter to the press.

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/l...all&y=20&x=19&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

 

[TerryB]

I haven't been able to locate the letter to the press that Boyd references, but the idea that she chased Morris Greenwall around with a pistol seems exaggerated. She says she drew her dagger on him in her dressing room when he began to use offensive and insulting language and attempted to strike her. She went on to say she acted in self defense, and regrets having used some language herself. All I find in other papers is the single line that she "drew her dagger the other day on a theater manager in Houston." One article said that she was committed to a "lunatic asylum" in San Francisco in Nov of that year. By late Dec she had been pronounced cured and had also given birth. The writer made a snide remark that this must be some sort of new advance in the treatment of the insane.

 

[TerryB]

I feel the need to start a thread on Belle Boyd. As a teaser, THAT GUY and General Chalmers, unlikely in the role of "backstage Johnnies" were among her admirers in Memphis, early October, 1867. See their exchange of compliments here. In the North, such as at New York, she got some pretty chilly reviews.

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/l...oyd&y=13&x=17&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

 

[Nathanb1]

I haven't been able to locate the letter to the press that Boyd references, but the idea that she chased Morris Greenwall around with a pistol seems exaggerated. She says she drew her dagger on him in her dressing room when he began to use offensive and insulting language and attempted to strike her. She went on to say she acted in self defense, and regrets having used some language herself. All I find in other papers is the single line that she "drew her dagger the other day on a theater manager in Houston." One article said that she was committed to a "lunatic asylum" in San Francisco in Nov of that year. By late Dec she had been pronounced cured and had also given birth. The writer made a snide remark that this must be some sort of new advance in the treatment of the insane.

Hormones. Back in the day, a lot of women found themselves in insane asylum with what people now would nod and call PMS or pregnancy hormones. Really.

 

[TerryB]

Hormones. Back in the day, a lot of women found themselves in insane asylum with what people now would nod and call PMS or pregnancy hormones. Really.

A notice in one paper says she and Lt. Harding had divorced. This was earlier in the year than her committal, and if I recall, longer than 9 months. So it begs the question of who the father was. Harding had been a US naval officer whom she charmed on a voyage to England in 1864. They got married there, and here the sources differ, either she talked him into resigning or he was cashiered for letting her get away with stuff. He was captured later in Virginia while trying to pass through the lines, but I didn't follow up on what happened to him. He was her second husband, and she had a daughter by the first. Mahoney, I think his name was. I forget what happened to him.

 

[Nathanb1]

A notice in one paper says she and Lt. Harding had divorced. This was earlier in the year than her committal, and if I recall, longer than 9 months. So it begs the question of who the father was. Harding had been a US naval officer whom she charmed on a voyage to England in 1864. They got married there, and here the sources differ, either she talked him into resigning or he was cashiered for letting her get away with stuff. He was captured later in Virginia while trying to pass through the lines, but I didn't follow up on what happened to him. He was her second husband, and she had a daughter by the first. Mahoney, I think his name was. I forget what happened to him.

LOL. I can't imagine why she might have been depressed.

 

[TerryB]

LOL. I can't imagine why she might have been depressed.

War is heck!

 

[Nathanb1]

War is heck!

So are bad marriages.

 

[TerryB]

Two of her bios online say Hardinge [sic] died in 1866 and she remarried in 1869, the year she was committed. So I'm not sure why a newspaper would have her divorcing a guy who was already dead. She and Hubby # 3 were married for a long time. All in all, she was married 4 times and had at least that many kids.

 

[zumbawithcindy]

It gets better. In Oct 1864, he applied for a passport in New York City, and was vouched for by someone from New York. He claimed to be a loyal US citizen. He got out of there a month before the New York fire-bombing incident. Lt. R. Cobb Kennedy, who was hanged for his part in it, was also from Louisiana. Coincidence?

I'm guessing he was a detective of some sort before the war. Born in 1838, he was 26 at the time he applied.

I think you are right - early counter-intelligence guy - This is very interesting, I don't think he was at all what he seemed (or looked like). That uniform looks very odd indeed - almost like it was borrowed, There are no accouterments - its just darned odd looking - I was only half joking like it looking like a bad Inspector Clouseau disguise, from a Peter Sellers Pink Panther movie

 

[zumbawithcindy]

An article from 1863.

View attachment 18900

It gets stranger and stranger

 

[zumbawithcindy]

A clerk in New Orleans pre-war, and maybe an actor post-war.

CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, BUREAU OF CONSCRIPTION,

Richmond, Va., June 9, 1863.

Hon. JAMES A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War:

SIR; I have respectfully to acknowledge the letter of Secret Detective Greenwall, communicated by you with favorable indorsement.

The services of such a detective, to track out the professional substitute agents in their habitual frauds and the self-styled officers signing papers without commission or authority, and also to expose
the criminal disregard of law and orders by company and regimental officers, whether moved by corruption, complaisance, or recklessness, might be eminently useful.

To that end, however, the limited scope of the jurisdiction of this Bureau makes it desirable that, while consulting with and recommended to the authorities of conscription, he should be the direct representative of higher authority, and clothed by such authority with special powers and duties to procure arrests and prosecutions in concert with Confederate marshals and district attorneys.

There have not been wanting abundant evidences of irregularity and disobedience of orders, grossly criminal and mischievous, in the conduct of officers of the Army respecting substitutes. In practice, the remedies attempted to be applied by this Bureau have, by reason of its want of jurisdiction, generally proved unavailing. In all the cases forwarded with evidence the guilt, officers seem to have escaped with impunity by, or without, the rendering of some sort of defense or explanation.

Holy Moley! It appears (if I'm reading this right) that he wasn't any sort of a bounty hunter per se - he was going after officers who looks to me, were fraudulently ordering supplies?? - war profiteer officers? - that would make him special indeed. Sort of like Office of Special Investigation (OSI) - If that is the case, he may have had some very powerful enemies. Its interesting how little things really change - he is definitely an odd duck - in a very bizarre uniform!

 

[zumbawithcindy]

I think we should retitle the thread...."Greenwall.....Man of Mystery"!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love it! I love a good mystery, and this fellow seems to be much more than a guy in terribly tailored uniform!
Isn't history awesome!!??

 

[zumbawithcindy]

It looks like Lt. Jack Davis was the enrolling officer in Rusk, and Lt. J.W. Lacour had the same office in Chambers County. Greenwall went into the theatrical business after the war. He lived in Galveston, then moved to Melbourne, Australia. He contracted with Lily Langtry to travel there and perform, but she reneged. He came to America in 1885 to sue her, but died in San Francisco. A ship passenger list from around this time showed his occupation as "actor."

I'm amazed at his ability to travel. He was from New Orleans, but when stationed in Richmond in 1863, he tracked down two deserters who had robbed a woman in Camden, SC. He caught up with them in Montgomery, Ala and brought them back to Camden. Then there's this little matter of him being in the Galveston area in 1864, then in New York in Oct of that year, applying for a passport. He sure got around. That New York visit sounds awfully like he might have been one of the fire-bomb plotters. What a story he'd have to tell.

Wow! - The fact that he was an "actor" would seem to indicate that he was quite comfortable with disguises and that is exactly what the picture looks like - nose built out with putty or theatrical wax, hairline changed. He would have known what he was doing, and here is one for everyone to chew on........ Assuming he was an actor, or had a theatrical background, and that he may have been in NYC, and possibly involved in a fire bombing and then skedaddled... I just wonder if he knew, or was an associate of John (Wilkes) Booth? It would seem he could have been a perfect co-conspirator, and an actor cover is perfect - they were considered vagabonds, traveled widely and lived out of a suitcase. He seems like he was almost a shadow. Need to look into the places that Mr. Booth was in, besides Washington City of course, and see if their is a match with Mr. Greenwall's wanderings, although Greenwall seemed to be everywhere..... But what is really known about Booth, other than he was at Lincoln's inauguration, that he was an actor, and that he did the deed, and killed himself. Whew.

 

[TerryB]

Wow! - The fact that he was an "actor" would seem to indicate that he was quite comfortable with disguises and that is exactly what the picture looks like - nose built out with putty or theatrical wax, hairline changed. He would have known what he was doing, and here is one for everyone to chew on........ Assuming he was an actor, or had a theatrical background, and that he may have been in NYC, and possibly involved in a fire bombing and then skedaddled... I just wonder if he knew, or was an associate of John (Wilkes) Booth? It would seem he could have been a perfect co-conspirator, and an actor cover is perfect - they were considered vagabonds, traveled widely and lived out of a suitcase. He seems like he was almost a shadow. Need to look into the places that Mr. Booth was in, besides Washington City of course, and see if their is a match with Mr. Greenwall's wanderings, although Greenwall seemed to be everywhere..... But what is really known about Booth, other than he was at Lincoln's inauguration, that he was an actor, and that he did the deed, and killed himself. Whew.

One strange thing is that when he came back to the states to sue Lily Langtry for breach of contract, he was very ill and suspected he might die. So he had his lawyer draw up a statement blaming his death on all the worry Lily caused him over her reneging on the contract. Belle Boyd seemed to have the same problem, and usually blamed it on the weather, bad rail connections or miscommunication with theater managers.

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/l...wall&y=16&x=5&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

 

[TerryB]

I love it! I love a good mystery, and this fellow seems to be much more than a guy in terribly tailored uniform!
Isn't history awesome!!??

And all he was in 1860 was a clerk in a clothing store. I'd say he had a natural talent for acting.

One of his brothers was sued for civl rights violations in 1875 for refusing to allow two black women to attend a play. He was fined $500, but another judge ruled the law was unconstitutional. And the other brother contracted syphilis while in the CS army, was left behind sick in hospital near New Orleans in 1862, leading to his capture. Not much else in his records. These guys definitely seem kind of shady.

 

[TerryB]

Here's a transcription of the relevant part of the letter in post #17, written by Lt. Jack Davis, the enrolling officer in Rusk to Lt. J.W. Lacour, who held the same office in Chambers County. It's dated April 22, 1864.

"You are also required to make inquiry about Mr. M. Greenwall, late a special agent under the direction of the Bureau of Conscription, Richmond, Va. Should Mr. Greenwall be found in your county, you will investigate his case as to his liability to military service. Mr. Greenwall's employment as special agent of the Bureau of Conscription ceased on the 25th day of Jany, 1864."