I have fallen a bit behind on my Sesquicentennial series for the Boys of Diamond Hill. Here are three things that happened 150 years ago this year.
On February 10, 1864, the Boyd family’s participation in the Confederate army became complete with the enlistment of seventeen year old Andrew Boyd. Daniel Boyd wrote a letter to their father on February 16 from Bristol, Tennessee. They were enroute to the camp of the Seventh South Carolina in winter quarters in New Market, Tennessee. Daniel was just making his return to duty following his recovery from his wounds at Gettysburg. Now out of a large family of men, Daniel and Andrew were the last two. They arrived in camp on February 18 and Daniel wrote his father again on the 21st. He reports that the deserters from the army “They ar a shooting them every weak or too.”
On March 17, 1864, Andrew wrote the first surviving letter of his in the collection. Daniel had been granted another furlough. Andrew reports that his unit had marched within four or five miles of Bulls Gap, Tennessee the previous Monday where they expected to give battle. Upon their arrival, however; the enemy quickly left denying them the expected confrontation.
Boys of Diamond Hill
The Military Writers Society of America Gold Medal for History 2012.
To read the entries thus far in the Sesquicentennial series for The Boys of Diamond Hill click here.
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