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Re: Saltville Virginia Wartime Fortifications Map

Hello John,

The man you are referring to is Charles Rufus Boyd. Boyd was born On October 3, 1841 in Wytheville, Virginia to Thomas Jefferson Boyd ["The Father of Wytheville"] and Minerva French Boyd [the sister of Napoleon B. French, a captain in the 30th Battalion Virginia Sharpshooters and Colonel William Henderson French of the 8th Va, Cavalry and later, the 17th Virginia Cavalry]. Thomas J. Boyd moved to Wytheville in 1830. By 1860, he was a hotel keeper with over $100,000 in assets. See:http://visit.wytheville.com/boyd.htm

In 1860 Charles R. Boyd was living in Alleghany County, Virginia in the household of civil engineer, Archibald Blair. On April 17, 1861, Boyd enlisted in Company A. 4th Virginia Infantry. By July 1861, he was sent to work on the defenses of Richmond as a 2nd Lieutenant of engineers. In May 1862, Boyd joined Company B, 30th Battalion Sharpshooters, commanded by us uncle, Captain Napoleon B. French. Boyd's talents were much in demand and he was detached on various occasions to put his engineering skills to use. In April 1864, Charles R. Boyd was permanently assigned to the C. S. Engineers and was appointed 2nd Lt. in Company E, 3rd Confederate Engineer Troops. Boyd worked closely with famed topographer Jed Hotchkiss during the 1864 Valley Campaign.

Postwar, Boyd married Sallie Stafford of Louisiana. Her father, General Leroy Augustus Stafford, was killed on the first day of the battle of the Wilderness while leading the 2nd Louisiana Brigade of the Stonewall Division. Boyd became a leading authority in geology and mine engineering, penning several works on the subject. He died on April 16, 1903.
See:http://worldcat.org/search?q=au%3ACharles+Rufus+Boyd&qt=hot_author

I searched for quite a while in Charles R. Boyd's Compiled Service Record in the 3rd Confederate Engineer Troops. I had almost given up when I came across a "Special Requisition" by Boyd dated July 12, 1863. Boyd had ordered 100 "short handled shovels in good order for use of Eng. Troops Army WVa." These shovels were for the "construction of fortifications at Saltville Va." It was signed "Chs R. Boyd, 2 Leiut Eng Troops, In charge Saltville Defenses."

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Saltville Virginia Wartime Fortifications Map
Re: Saltville Virginia Wartime Fortifications Map
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Re: Saltville Virginia Wartime Fortifications Map