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BOYDS OF SALEM, NY.

Salem, in Washington County, New York, like the other towns along the Hudson River, was at an early day the home of several families of the Boyds, when they emigrated here

from the old Ireland and Scotland homes of their ancestors of that country. Among the early settlers was the family of Robert Boyd, whose descendants form this Chapter of the book as furnished us by the Hon. Robert K. Boyd, ex-councilman of Eau Claire, Wisconsin as follows:

 Robert Boyd their ancestor was born in the northern part of Ireland in 1745. He emigrated (sic) to America with his wife and family at about the close of the War of the Revolution.

At this time there were a large company of Scotch-Irish emigrants under the leadership of a Presbyterian minister, the Rev. Thomas Clark (the first minister of the town of Salem, NY.), set sail for this country, and along with them came Robert Boyd and his family, and took up their first home in America here. The records show he was killed by an accident, December 7, 1783, leaving his wife with four children whose names were Robert Boyd, Joseph Boyd, John Boyd and William Boyd. Robert’s wife is said to have survived him many years and died aged in the forepart of the nineteenth century.  This lady is claimed by her descendants to be one of great bravery, so prominent among the Boyds families. One instant of this kind is given of her, that on one evening as she was sitting in her humble home (probably a log house), she was startled with horror to see a panther come to her door and enter her domicile, with flashing eyes and voracious look he advanced toward her. Quick as thought would let her, she seized a burning brand from the log fire-place and waved it in front of the desperate animal, which so quickly frightened the beast that he rushed from her household and she was saved. 

Robert Boyd the oldest son of Robert, was born in Salem, NY, April 7, 1780. While a young man he went and lived in Otsego County, NY, and finally settled in Byron, Genesee County, NY in 1822, and died here March 18, 1828 leaving one son (James Boyd) and three daughters. Two of these daughters died in 1840. One of them married a man named Morse, died leaving four children, and the other died unmarried.   Their widow was living in 1882 with R.W. Boyd a nephew at Attica, NY. James Boyd the son, was born in Salem, NY,  February 16, 1809 and came to the Genesee county, same state with his father in 1822.   He spent the remainder of his days here and died at his home in Pembroke, March 4, 1872, leaving two sons, Robert W. Boyd, born June 2, 1837 and James P. Boyd, born March, 1841, both being born in Byron of that county.   Robert resided here in Genesee county until 1880, when he moved to Attica, NY, following the profession of a mail route agent on the Eric Railroad until his death September 21, 1895. His children were: 

Ella M. Boyd was born June 20, 1867 at Medina, NY, who is the wife of Peter M. Bower and resides in Attica. Their daughter Rachel, who was born April 22, 1896, is now in High School.

James P. Boyd, the other son of James, was in 1882 a resident of Michigan, where he went in 1870 and was a traveling agent for the large dry goods house of Charles Root & CO., of Detroit. In 1882 he had a daughter then fifteen years of age.

 Joseph Boyd the second son of Robert Boyd (we have but a little record of him) was born in Salem, NY, and in after years resided in Steuben County, NY, where he died, leaving four sons: John R. Boyd, Isaac D. Boyd, David Boyd and Joseph Boyd. John R. Boyd the oldest son, left a son named Randolph Boyd, and Isaac D. Boyd, a son named Willard Boyd. They are supposed both to be living some where in the far west, where they went in early life. 

John Boyd the third son of Robert Boyd, was born in Ireland in 1778 or 1782. His record we know nothing of and may have died unmarried. 

William Boyd the youngest son of Robert, and the only one born in America in Salem, Washington County, NY in 1784, soon after the death of his father. In the War of 1812, he served his country in what was called the McFarland's Company, New York State Militia. For his first wife he married a lady whose name was ____? Younglove, and for his second wife, Mrs. Mary J. (Eaton) Hartwell, at or near Hammondsport, Steuben County, NY.  

William Boyd when young, was very prosperous financially, but lost all of his wealth in later years by becoming a bondsman to a dishonest, defaulting tax collector. He was a man of strong character and sterling principles, but was never a successful money maker. He was always unsuspicious of others, believing all men to be honest and upright, and he was ready to aid others with his earthly savings, when many times he was imposed upon by pretendent (sic) friends who had no more respect for him but to bunco him in their dealings. In 1852 he went from Addison, NY, to Illinois in McHenry County and in 1856 he emigrated from Illinois to St. Charles, MN., where he lived until his death in the year 1864.   By his first wife he was the father of four sons, whose names are John Boyd, William A. Boyd, Thomas Boyd and Mathew S. Boyd. By the second wife his children were Emily H. Boyd, James Boyd, Isaac D. Boyd and Robert K. Boyd. 

John Boyd the eldest son of William Boyd, was born at Salem, NY, September 6, 1809, was married to Clarissa B. Smith, a talented young woman of Purtian descent on February 20, 1841.  Their children were: First, Franklin Boyd, born in Illinois, December 26, 1841 and died in the U.S. Army near Memphis, Tenn., June 22, 1863. Second, Emily Louisa Boyd, born in Illinois, August 26, 1844 and died at St. Charles, MN., February 22, 1866. Third, William Henry Boyd, born in Illinois, February 4, 1846, now a resident of St. Charles, MN. Fourth, Harriet Augusta, born in Illinois, May 9, 1848 and died at St. Charles, MN., February 28, 1870. Fifth, Adaline M. Boyd, born May 6, 1851, died November 27, 1851. Sixth, Charles Albert Boyd, born in Illinois, May 6, 1853, now a physician living in Scott's Bluff, NE. 

William H. Boyd, son of John Boyd, was married to Ella Maynard at Saratoga, MN., November 29, 1877. They have one daughter Hattie May Boyd; born at Saratoga, MN., November 4, 1884; now a teacher in the high school at St. Charles, MN. 

William H. Boyd was a successful and influential farmer, but is now retired and living in St. Charles. Harriet A. Boyd, daughter of John Boyd, was married to Wesley C. Randall in 1865 and died at St. Charles in February, 1870, leaving a daughter Eva, born in September, 1867, and a son Kathern K., who took the name of his foster-father Brainard, and now resides in Durand, WI., being engaged in banking. He was married to Mary E. Kohr October 23, 1892, and his family consists of George Vaughn, born March 30, 1894; Carroll Keith, born March 28, 1897; Docela Maria, born May 16, 1899; and Katherine M., born November 16,1909. 

Dr. Charles A. Boyd, son of John Boyd, was married 1st.  Hettie Putnam of Stockton, MN. They have two sons, Frank Boyd, a physician, practicing in Omaha, NE., and Ralph Boyd, a hardware merchant of the same place. Dr. Charles A. Boyd is a graduate of Rush Medical College; has had a large practice and is an influential man in his profession. 

The descendants of William Boyd are nearly all above the medium height of good physique, healthy and long lived and proverbially exempt from chronic ailments or physical defects. 

William A. Boyd the second son of William Boyd by his first wife was born in Salem, Washington County, NY., September 18, 1818. While a young man he lived in Steuben County, NY., later he moved to Michigan and from there to Du Page County, IL. Where he was a prominent settler of that state, and a prosperous and influential farmer. He was married twice, but had no children and died at Aurora, IL. 

Thomas Boyd the third son of William by his first wife, was born at Salem, Washington County, NY, May 1, 1821. He was married to Louisa Kenyon at Napierville, IL, June 26, 1867. 

His death was caused by an accident at the latter place August 27, 1880. He also like his brother William, was a pioneer settler of Illinois, coming there when all around Chicago was a wilderness and the city was scarcely more than a village. His family consisted of one child named Mabel Boyd, who was born at Naperville, IL., October 3, 1869, and was married to G.W. Ferry at the same place, where she resides, having a family of four children: Irvin B., born May  1896; Lillie, born October, 1899; Elmer, born in August, 1905; and Lorin, born December, 1909.

 Mathew S. Boyd the fourth or youngest son of William Boyd, by his first wife, was born at Salem, Washington County, NY, May 25, 1824; was married to Amanda J. Minium in Illinois on April 26, 1852. In 1864 with his wife and three children he moved to Minnesota where his wife died in the Town of Saratoga. For his second wife he married a widow named Esther Stowell, December 18, 1875. She survives him and is now living in St. Charles MN. He died in St. Charles on July 2, 1909. His children by his first wife were as follows: 

First, Arvilla Boyd, born in Illinois, October 28, 1853 and married at Dover, MN. to Samuel Edwards. They reside at Groton, S.D. with their four children, Arthur S., Clarence V., Pearl M., a teacher and elocutionist and Roy S. Second, George Boyd, born in Illinois, December 17, 1855 now a farmer and dealer in live stock in Revillo, SD. He was married to Adelia Mehin and had two children, John Boyd and Robert Boyd. Third, May E., born in Illinois, April 3, 1862 and married to Almon Adams, by whom she had a son, Casca 0., born at St. Charles, September 3, 1889, and residing at Roosevelt, MN. Her second husband's name is Allen H. Minium, with whom she resides in Roosevelt, MN. 

Emily H. Boyd, daughter of William Boyd by his second marriage, was born in Hammondsport,      NY., September 14, 1837; was married to Frederick V. Whiton, July 3, 1858, who died in the year 1903. Mrs. Whiton resides in Bradford, Penn. Her children were Camilla E., born July 27, 1859 and died December 23, 1899; Mary S., born January 30, 1865, married to L.L. Ball February 16, 1886, and now resides in Bradford, Penn. Mrs. Bairs children are Avery E., born May 5, 1896, died February 27, 1901 Harlon W., born December 2, 1898 and Wendell L. born June 25, 1904. 

James Boyd, eldest son of William Boyd by his second marriage, was born in Steuben County, NY, June 24, 1839 and died unmarried October 6, 1881.

 Isaac D. Boyd, son of William Boyd was born in Steuben County, NY., November 27, 1843, moved to Illinois with his parents in 1853, and to Minnesota in 1856. While only a boy, he developed unusual discretion and judgment in business, and it was largely due to his untiring industry and ability that his parents in their later years were able to enjoy the home which through adversity had been denied them in their native state and which they had sought for in what was then the far west. He has been successful and is now retired, living with his family at St. Charles, MN. He served as a soldier in the Civil War; was married to Ida Russell in the year 1874, who is still living. Their children are as follows: George H. Boyd, born March 19, 1875, drowned at Chatfield, MN., July 4, 1894., Emily A. Boyd, born May 24, 1877, graduate of the Winona State Normal School, now a teacher in Montana. Robert R. Boyd, born August 4, 1879, a graduate of the University of Minnesota, now a mining engineer in Globe, AZ., Clinton Boyd, born January 20, 1883, now engaged in farming at Midvale, Idaho. Ida May Boyd, born March 19, 1887, now living with her parents at St. Charles. 

Robert K. Boyd, youngest son of William Boyd, was born at Addison, NY., April 24, 1845.  In May, 1873 he was married at Chippewa Falls, WI., to Bertha Dettloff, who died in 1880. By this marriage two sons died in infancy and one (Donald) survived. Donald Boyd was born in Eau Claire, WI., November 20, 1876, was a soldier in the Spanish War. He is now a dealer in land, a surveyor, an expert in land titles, and a skilled accountant, and now resides with his family in Eau Claire, WI. He was married to Grace E. Crandall in June, 1905; has an adopted son Harold, born in 1902, and a daughter Bertha M., born April 1, 1907. Robert K. Boyd's second marriage was to Miss May Smith in November, 1882. By this marriage he has one son Percy Boyd; born October 14, 1886, a graduate of the University of California in the course of mining engineering, and at the time of the earthquake and fire was a patrolman in San Francisco. Percy Boyd has had some experience in his profession in the copper mines of Arizona; but is now connected with a land and irrigating company in the State of Washington. In physique and in taste for adventure he inherits many of the characteristics of his father.                                              

 Robert K. Boyd has a natural pride in having led an active life mixed with hardship and adventure.  The following notes are compiled from a copy of his autobiography, the original being in file in the archives of the Grand Army post of which he is a member as follows: 

He is the youngest son of William Boyd of Salem, NY., who himself was the youngest son of Robert Boyd, who came from Ireland. He was born at Addison, NY., April 24, 1845. At the age of eight he moved with his parents to McHenry County, IL., and at eleven in 1856 moved to Minnesota, being four weeks on the road with ox teams. His father settled near St. Charles and being advanced in years, the three sons, James Boyd, Isaac Boyd and Robert Boyd, experienced more than their share of the hardships of frontier life. Robert’s school life varied from nothing at all to a few weeks each winter up to the age of seventeen. It was easy for him to learn arithmetic, but he had no taste for other studies, and often after studying hard, his mind would be a blank when in the class. He could however in a slow way of his own study things out, and what he once learned he never forgot. 

He had a streak of the original savage in his nature, for he liked to be alone in the woods and had no desire for the graces of a higher life. He liked poetry however, especially of the romantic or sentimental kind, or relating to the adventures of half wild people. His dream of the future was to live in a shanty in the wild country, hunt, fish and trap for a living and be an uncouth hero. In 1861, when others feared a long war, he was afraid it would be over before he could see his share of it, and this feeling grew stronger that summer when a young man came home from the battle of Bull Run wounded in the arm. To his mind there was no jewel so bright as an honorable scar, yet at that time he little dreamed that during the next year he would wear a surplus of that kind of jewelry. In 1862 he thought of battles all day and dreamed of them at night, and one day in June, after a barn raising, his parents and friends looked for him in vain, for like many others of that time, he had run away to join the army. He left home without a cent and walked all night, mostly through a wild country, with only the stars to guide him. He went down into the rocky gorge of the Whitewater River in almost total darkness, forded the roaring stream and climbed to the higher ground at least 300 feet above, and kept on his course, arriving in Wabashaw the next afternoon, having walked fifty miles without food.   From this place he stole a ride by steamboat to Lake City and walked to Red Wing, where he enlisted in Company "F" of the 6th Minnesota Infantry. After a few days he went with three other young men who had just enlisted, to St. Paul, their fare to this point being paid by their captain and they were expected to walk to Fort Snelling, five miles farther on, but they learned that at the Fort it would cost them ten cents each to cross the ferry, while if they went by river the steamboat fare was no more. Out of seventy-five cents earned at Red Wing, he had thirty cents left, and his companions were each thirty cents poorer than himself. He gave away his money to the others who needed it more, for he was willing to take chances on adventures. At the worst, he could jump overboard and swim ashore, and this was exactly what he did do when the boatman in forcible terms demanded his fare and chased him from the gang plank to the upper deck, while the boat was at the Fort Snelling landing. 

He was at Fort Snelling with other recruits during July and part of August, learning what he was compelled to do, of the duties of a soldier, drilling with the worthless Belgian musket, part of Fremont's unwise purchase of European arms. 

On August 19th, a half-breed courier rode his foaming horse through the streets of St. Paul to the residence of Governor Ramsey, bringing a despatch from Major Galbraith, the Indian agent, that all the Sioux Indians of Minnesota were on the war path, murdering the white people of the frontier. Robert and his comrades were up all night, drawing clothing and handling goods and supplies, and in the morning went on board a small steamboat thickly crowded, and making its way to the west, toward the seat of trouble. At Belle Plaine they disembarked and marched to St. Peter, where they first tried their guns which had been issued to them on the way. These guns, known as the Austrian rifle, were found to be worthless. The officers refused to take their men into danger with such weapons, and this caused several days of delay waiting for better arms. 

After obtaining the Springfield rifle—a serviceable gun of American make—they marched to Fort Ridgley, burying several bodies of murdered settlers, and passing the sites of many burned buildings. They relieved Fort Ridgley where the small garrison had been in a state of siege for ten days, and had defended themselves and many refugees in two hard battles. The roofs of the buildings were covered with earth as a protection from the fire arrows of the Indians. 

For several days they stayed here and he admired the horsemanship of the half-breed scouts. To get better acquainted with the wild people, he stole sugar and crackers from the mess tent to make friends with the half-breed boys, and learn what he could of their language. 

On August 31st, he was detailed to go into the enemy's country with a force of about one hundred and fifty men to bury the dead and gain information, all but one of the party being strangers to him. They buried twenty-three soldiers at the battleground of Redwood Ferry, besides many settlers, he being one of the burial party of twenty men. 

As the bodies had lain two weeks, the work was hard and repulsive, and some good men gave out and quit, but Robert, priding himself on having no nerves and no emotions, and to give the impression that he never became tired, took the hardest and most disagreeable part of the work. 

That evening in camp the commander, Captain Grant beckoned to him and told him he had been watching him that day and would speak to his captain about him. He was slow to understand and thought he was to be reprimanded and the blood came hot to his face, but when the officer told him he had shown great fortitude in a hard place and that he wished he had more such men, it reached a tender spot in his nature, for he felt it to be the first real compliment that he had ever received. Little did either of them dream of what was in store for them at the next campground, that he would be disabled for life and his whole future changed by the events of a single day, or that his commander would go down in history with a cloud upon his name as being to blame for a great disaster. This was Captain H. P. Grant, who was in command of the expedition, but as an adviser he was accompanied by Major Joseph R. Brown, a former Indian agent and trader, who proved to be utterly ignorant of what the Indians would do in time of war.

On the evening of the second day, and after burying more than eighty bodies, they camped on the prairie near a valley known as Birch Coolie, and there Major Brown's advice made no preparation for a possible attack. 

At daybreak on September 2, the battle commenced, and Robert was desperately wounded in the first part of the fight. For more than thirty hours the battle continued. The small force being surrounded by many times their number of Indians, with no protection except such earthworks as could be made during the battle. During all this time he lay bleeding in five places, with only one swallow of water and a small piece of raw cabbage, this being his share of all there was to divide. He lay in a tent in which there were more than one hundred bullet holes, and during the battle saw the bodies of men pushed onto the low earthworks to stop bullets. Up to this time the battle of Birch Coolie was the hardest ever fought with Indians, being before the Custer massacre and before the battle of General Forsythe with the Cheyennes under the Chief Roman Nose. During the battle the surgeon removed a bullet from the back part of his shoulder, which had come through from the front, broken the collar bone, passed through the shoulder blade and lodged in a mass of broken bones. When he was a boy at home it had been his pride that he would not flinch from pain, and in school he had let the others push a pin or the point of a knife into his arm and pretend that it did not hurt. He thought of this now, for the time had come which would show how much of this was real fortitude and how much had been only boyish vanity. This was after having suffered many hours from the loss of blood and from hunger and thirst, but he lay on the ground, every nerve and muscle relaxed, not even taking a deeper breath and let the surgeon cut into the flesh and pull the bullet out from among the splintered bones, a part of his shoulder blade. When the surgeon asked him if it did not hurt, he answered carelessly, "yes, a little.” A volley of bullets cracking through the tent stopped the discussion and compelled all parties to lie flat to the ground, to escape them.   Many times after the battle, while this wound was being dressed and pieces of bone were pulled out of the flesh, which was torn and bleeding, although sometimes he had everything turn dark before his eyes, he never allowed himself to flinch from the pain. He has held to this all his life and never allowed himself to give way to pain or discomfort of any kind. 

In the night time, one of the half-breed scouts volunteered to ride through the lines of the Indians and go to Fort Ridgley for help, but before he could start, another volley of bullets killed the last good horse. Before the battle closed, out of their little band, thirteen lay dead, ten mortally wounded and more than fifty others totally disabled. 

It was nearly noon on the second day that an Indian came in sight and announced to his comrades that they must all go west, that a great many white men were coming. Before it was interpreted by the half-breeds, Robert understood its meaning, for the last words were wah see choo (white man) otah do (a great many), for like many others he had learned a few words of the language. When the troops came up, he staggered to his feet just able to stand. His cheek was torn open by a large bullet, so that one’s thumb could easily be laid in the wound; a bullet was lodged in his thigh, the bones of his shoulder crushed, and his right hand and arm hanging useless, black and gorged with blood. 

As he walked in front of his comrades, no one knew him until he asked it they had ever seen him before, when one of his chums exclaimed: "It is Bob Boyd." They all thought he could not live, and when they asked him what he did in the battle he shocked them by saying "that he stopped a few bullets from doing any further damage.” He was not suffering much pain at the time, and his vitality was such that he was inclined to make light of his wounds. He was taken to the hospital at Fort Ridgley and later to Fort Snelling, and was honorably discharged on account of his wounds, in March, 1863. 

In August, 1864 he again enlisted in Company H. of the 11th Minnesota, and served until the close of the war. At the time of enlistment his shoulder was still lame and the wound was not healed, but he got past the examining surgeon by a scheme which was well planned, but perhaps not exactly honest. He cut the button off from the collar of his flannel shirt and sewed it up with strong thread. The surgeon was in a great hurry, and as the applicant for military honors unbuttoned his wristbands and the lower buttons in front, and to his apparent surprise, found that the garment would not come open at the neck, the surgeon said, never mind and examined him with his shirt on. Afterward he marched many a weary mile with the weight of his knapsack, gun and all his accoutrements entirely on his left shoulder, for to ease what little conscience he was possessed of, he had pledged himself to never give up or fail in his duties on account of his lame shoulder.

 During his second term of service, he guarded trains from Nashville to Chattanooga, and was afterwards stationed at northern Tennessee, guarding the railroad against guerillas, but was greatly disappointed in not being with Sherman on the great march. Early in 1865 he was within hearing of the battle of Nashville, but was compelled to stay at his post, and so missed a chance to be in a great battle against the South. 

During the winter after the war, he spent what little money he had saved in going to a commercial school, but afterwards failed to get employment in any kind of business. It was hard for him to get acquainted with men of influence, being ignorant of the manners and customs of business men, and he saw nothing ahead of him but a life of hard, manual labor. He worked on a farm, but even the jar of riding or walking on rough ground would affect his wounded shoulder and arm so that he could not work. At times he hoed corn with his left hand with a strap around his arm at the elbow to help in holding the hoe, and felt well paid when he earned half a man's wages. His pension was only six dollars a month, and this did not go far when prices were high on everything, except the farmer’s work and what he had to sell. In the fall of 1867 by studying nights, he was able to teach school, and felt like a Wall Street broker when he earned twenty-five dollars a month during the next winter. 

In 1868 he went to Wisconsin and worked at a saw mill for three seasons, teaching school two winters, but this was not to his taste and he thought it was not his right work. In 1871 he worked about a month in the office of the County Treasurer at Chippewa Falls, WI., but was so slow in learning the duties of his position that his employer was not satisfied. He then went to Eau Claire and worked for a man who was writing a set of abstract books, making up the titles of land. He had only to write what was dictated, and in this way suited the employer who did not want a man who could learn about the business itself. After this he worked for three years in a real estate office at a fair salary. In 1875 he made a set of indexes of the land records of the county, and afterward engaged in looking over wild timber land and dealing in real estate. This has been his occupation up to the year 1910, when he was elected to the office of Councilman of the City of Eau Claire, under the commission form of government, his first public office. In business he had been fairly successful, giving his two sons a much better start in life than he had for himself, and laying up all he thinks he will need for the future. 

Although he has always suffered from his wounds, he has never regretted his experience in the Indian War, and would be glad if he had more hardships, dangers and adventures to look back to. 

He is now (1911) sixty-six years of age, and has never been sick, although he has never tried to avoid exposure. He has always enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping in a wild country, can still walk all day, carry a heavy pack and camp alone in the woods in any weather, except the very coldest. Although he never tries to keep dry in the woods, he has never taken cold from being wet, nor suffered from rheumatism, lameness or disability of any kind except from his wounds. He is somewhat above the medium size, fairly strong and of wonderful endurance, and at this time if it were necessary, would not hesitate to swim a river of ice cold water. 

He believes that his great endurance and freedom from sickness is largely due to the fact that he has always lived as near to nature as possible, cultivated every element of strength and endurance, and has never weakened his powers or perverted his faculties by the use of drugs, tobacco or stimulants of any kind. He has enjoyed the work of surveying and examining land in a wild country, and his best recreation is in camping, hunting or fishing, entirely away from all signs of civilization. Although he has friends among all classes of people, he has never cared for society, as the term is usually understood. His dealings have been mostly with the poorer people of the frontier, and he sees the world largely from their standpoint. When he meets them, they are at once his friends and he would quit the company of a college professor to talk with a backwoods hunter, land looker, an Indian or a half-breed. 

The author feels justified in publishing the foregoing sketch of the life of Robert K. Boyd from the fact that his advice and assistance have been of great benefit in the preparation of this work. It is hoped that his name will be honored not only by his own kindred, but by the descendants of every branch of the Boyd Family as one who is well worthy of the name he bears. Boyd Family and Descendants, William P. Boyd, 1912

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