In April 1861, brothers Daniel and Pressley Boyd left their farm in Abbeville County, South Carolina, to join the Confederate army. The Civil War soon swept their other brothers, William, Thomas and Andrew, as well as brother-in-law Fenton Hall into service. By the war’s end, only Daniel survived. The extensive collection of letters the Boyds left behind, assembled for the first time, details their experiences across almost every theater of the war and offers commentary on many aspects of soldier life—from illness, death, and religion to friendly fire, desertion, and politics. Few families sacrificed so much to the Confederate cause as the Boyds.

J. Keith Jones is an author of five books. He divides his time between the two Carolinas.

Edited by J. Keith Jones

Foreword by Richard B. McCaslin

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 192
Bibliographic Info: appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2011
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6333-6
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8586-4
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vi
Foreword by Richard B. McCaslin      1
Prologue      5

1861      7
1862      28
1863      69
1864      110
1865      134
After the War      139

Epilogue      141
Editor’s Afterword      145
Appendix A: The Boyds, Crowthers, Halls, and Alewines and How They Are Related      147
Appendix B: Company Rosters for the Boyd Brothers      149
Notes      169
Bibliography      173
Index      175

Winner, Military Writers Society of America Award
“a handsome book…well-researched, well-documented, and beautifully presented…you will rejoice as the primary materials brings their experiences to life as only first-hand accounts can do”—Military Writers Society of America; “the reader gets a very good look inside the hearts and souls of this South Carolina family”—Confederate Veteran; “a WOW Rating”—The Lone Star Book Review.