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 B
OYD
F
AMILY
W
RITINGS
 1846
TO
1940
 A
NDREW
D
EVORE
B
OYD
,
 
transcriber adboyd@charter.net1 February 2009
1
 
Introduction
 The following 87 writings have been collected over many years by various family members. They include letters, poems, and diary excerpts, and are presented chronologically. All but two or three of the originals are in the possession of the transcriber. The pictures are also in my collection.Highlights include letters describing an 1845 Christmas Tree (Letter 1); Army life in Texas in 1849(Letter 2); the inauguration of President Zachary Taylor in 1849 (Letter 3); service in the UnionArmy during the Civil War (Letters 16 - 22); a tour of war-time Washington D.C (Letters 18,22); the advantages of moving to Colorado 1872 and 1873 (Letters 24, 26, 29 - 31); a train tripfrom Kansas City to Colorado in 1873 (Letter 32); a wagon trip to Estes Park, Colorado in 1903(Letter 54); service in World War One in France and Germany (Letters 63 – 76); as well as thenormal family information of births, marriages, work, school, illnesses and deaths. The writers are all related to Joseph Boyd Jr. who was born 5 July 1766 on his father’s tobaccoplantation in Prince George’s County, Maryland. He married three times and had ten children. Hemoved west to Ohio in 1814, settling first in Licking County, Ohio and finally in Marion County,Ohio. He died 18 December 1846 on his farm in Pleasant Township, Marion County. The major writers are Ann (Scott) Livingston of Baltimore, Maryland (1784 – 1852), Ann was Joseph’s aunt and his mother’s sister; Joseph Jr’s grandsons Joseph John Boyd (1833 – 1887) andHarry Livingston Boyd (1838 – 1903), both Civil War veterans of Marion, Ohio and Loveland,Colorado; Joseph John’s father-in-law, Hezekiah Gorton of New York, Ohio and Colorado (1793 –1882); Joseph John’s son, Willis Gorton Boyd (1859 – 1939) who is my great grandfather; Willis’ wife Margaret Elizabeth (Cross) Boyd (1862 – 1942); and Andrew Frank Boyd, my namesake andgrandfather, a son of Willis and Margaret (1891 – 1972).I hope these writings will help us feel closer to our ancestors. Their lives, concerns and joys aremuch like our own.
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Letter 
 
1
Date: March 1846From: Susan Catherine Boyd, Ann (Scott) Livingston; postmarked Baltimore, Maryland
[]1
 To: Hiram Boyd, c/o Joseph Boyd Jr.; Marion, OhioDear Sister Mary Ellen,I am going to write to you for the first time and I want to know how you spent yourChristmas? I have spent my Christmas very pleasant.And Sister Martha and I have had a Christmas bush and the bush was set in a small block anda table was covered with a white cloth. The bush was set on it and in the morning we come down we found our bush hung with candies of different kinds. And Aunts cut us some paper birds andthey were hung on the bush. And some of candy were dogs, chicks, bellows and a pair of shoes, aharp, a pair of scissors, and pipes, fish, apples, cakes and they were all made candy.Sister Martha and I have had the chickenpox and Aunts has keep me at home ever sinceChristmas. And Aunts sent their loves to you. Aunt Ann often says that she would like you comehere.Sister and I have sent our loves to you and Brothers and Father and Grandfather,Grandmother. And I want to know how your pet lamb is coming on and I want to know whereFather is now?I am learning too. My Uncle Joseph and I am learning to read, write and cipher, spelling,geography. Aunts thinks that it is best for me to stay home; there are so much smallpox about.Aunt Mary has got bad cold so that she is confined at home and she has got a bad cough andshe has not been able to be at the good's store.Susan C. BoydDear Hiram The foregoing letter is altogether Susan Catherine's own composition and you must excuse allmisspellings as it is her first. The children often speak of thee and their Brothers and Sister andlittle Martha Ann says, "I wish my pappy would come here and bring sister Elly. I would hug himand kiss him so dearly."
[]2
She is beginning to spell in three letters. She is a sprightly child.
1
This letter was mailed at a cost of 10 cents which was a lot of money in 1846. It was common to includenotes from other family members in the same letter to offset the high postage charges.
2
Hiram Boyd's wife Matilda died in childbirth in 1843 while the family was traveling west to Ohio. Hiramsent his two youngest daughters, Susan Catherine and Martha Ann, to live in a boardinghouse in Baltimore,Maryland run buy his Aunt Ann Scott Livingston and his sisters Eleanor and Mary Boyd. Hiram took his
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