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James Mitchell Boyd  1st Barbara J. Speers,

2nd Mrs. Sarah J. (Howell) Buckingham
Hardin County, Iowa

In perusing the life-history of so sterling and useful a citizen as the late James Mitchell Boyd, of Hardin County, one quite naturally gathers new inspiration and courage to struggle on up the steps, for it abounds both in lesson and incentive and the young man hesitating at the parting of the ways could do no better than to take his career as an object from which to pattern his individual course and thus attain the goal sought.

Janes William Boyd was born in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, eighteen miles north of Pittsburg, February 12, 1828, of Highland Scotch-Irish and Holland ancestry.

The paternal grandfather Robert Boyd, emigrated from Ireland about 1785, when but seventeen years old. He first settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but afterwards moved to Westmoreland county, that state, where he devoted his life to farming. He took an interest in public affairs and became magistrate. He married Nancy Namdyne, a native of Delaware, a descendant of the earliest Holland emigrants to that state. They became the parents of thirteen children. Robert Boyd served on the staff of General Crooks as judge advocate in the war of 1812. His death occurred during the Civil war at a very advanced age.

James Boyd, father of James M. Boyd, of this review, was born near old Fort Ligonier, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, October 2, 1802. He began life for himself when a mere boy by clerking in a store, which work he continued during his minority. In 1823 he married Sarah Boyd, a descendant of the Boyd family who came to the United States in 1772. Her paternal grandfather, John Boyd, with his wife and two sons, John Boyd and Abraham Boyd, engaged passage on a sailing vessel for the New World, but after going on board it was discovered that the two boys had contracted the dread disease, smallpox, and the family was ordered ashore, the vessel sailing without them. This seeming hardship proved to be a very fortunate occurrence in view of the fact that that vessel was driven out of its course by a storm, was nineteen weeks at sea and nearly all the passengers perished. As soon as the boys recovered the Boyds took passage in another vessel and arrived in safety some six weeks before the other vessel landed. Of this family there were seven sons and two daughters. Four of the sons became noted Presbyterian ministers.

Robert Boyd, the maternal grandfather of James M. Boyd of this review, was a farmer and magistrate in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania. He married Hannah Mitchell, whose parents emigrated from New Jersey to western Pennsylvania and settled in the valley of the Allegheny, about twenty miles above Pittsburg, about 1796. James Mitchell Boyd was the third child in a family of twelve children; one of the sons, Wilson Boyd, lost his life* in the Arkansas campaign during the Civil war, on the first advance on Little Rock.

Our subject James William Boyd remained at home until he reached his majority, assisting with the general work about the place, and he received a limited education in the old-fashioned log school houses which he attended during the brief winter months. Three months after he became of age he determined to obtain a better education, consequently he spent two terms in Washington College and one term at Mansfield Normal School, preparing himself for teaching, which line of endeavor he followed with much success until the summer of 1857, when he came to Iowa, locating in Jackson township, Hardin county, on September 1st of that year, buying a half section of school land, paying one-fourth down. What seemed to be a fortunate venture proved to be quite the antithesis. As a sample of the effects of the financial crisis which followed in a few weeks, that land, after forty acres were broken and well fenced, could not be sold for half the back payments. But he was not discouraged and he improved his land summers and taught school winters, thus buffeting with fortune up to 1862, when he was commissioned by Governor Kirkwood to assist in recruiting Company F, Thirty-second Iowa Volunteer Infantry. After performing this duty he entered the ranks as a private, but was appointed sergeant, which rank he held throughout his term of service, although part of the time he had command of the company. At the close of his term of service he was commissioned first lieutenant, as a compliment, an honor he justly deserved at the beginning of his term of enlistment. He was with the army in Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. His first engagement was at Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where he was in the advance skirmish line of the right wing of the army. He was also in the engagement at Bayou Metaire, near Little Rock, Arkansas, and through the entire Red River campaign under General Banks. At the battle of Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, they stood five infantry and two cavalry charges, being one of the severest engagements of the war, the Federals withstanding these charges without serious loss, but were afterwards flanked on the right and left, in which they lost one half of their number. The army fell back to Grand Ecore, thence to Natchitoches and Alexandria, Louisiana, during which time Mr. Boyd had charge of the company, carrying his gun and accoutrements, marching at night and skirmishing during the day. He was also at the battles of Lake Chicot, Mississippi, June 6, 1864; Tupelo and Old Town Creek, Mississippi, July 14 and 15, 1864; Nashville, Tennessee, December 15 and 16, 1864, and during the entire last siege of Mobile, closing with the final storming of Fort Blakely on the evening of April 9, 1865. Mr. Boyd made the final reports of the company, balanced the company accounts, and was mustered out at Clinton, Iowa, August 24, 1865. After returning from the army Mr. Boyd retired to a small farm in Eldora township, and in June, 1867, was appointed county superintendent of schools and the following fall he was elected and served a full term. In January, 1870, he entered the clerk’s office as deputy and in June was appointed in place of Capt. S.A. Reed, who resigned. In the fall he was elected to the place, and re-elected in 1872, his term expiring in January, 1875. In the fall of that year he was elected sheriff, and served by re-election until 1881, giving his usual high grade service as a public official and winning the hearty approval of all concerned. From 1881 to 1890 he gave his attention to farming and raising fine live stock, but he continued to reside at Eldora. He retired from active life about 1890, and his death occurred on November 24, 1892, his death being partly the result of the recurrence of a disease contracted while in the army. In accordance with his desires, his funeral was entirely without ostentation.

On October 2, 1860, Mr. Boyd was united in marriage to Barbara J. Speers, a native of York county, Pennsylvania, and the daughter of George H. Speers, Esq. Her death occurred on May 29, 1867, leaving two children, Hannah Elizabeth Boyd and Sarah Angeline Boyd. The former has spent most of her life in travel; the latter married William Ernest Kier, a general contractor of very wide reputation as a constructor of public buildings in various states. Their home is at Colorado Springs, Colorado, and they have one daughter, Ernestine. Both Mrs. Kier and her sister, Hannah E., were teachers in their younger days.

Mr. Boyd was again married on April 9, 1872, to Mrs. Sarah J. Buckingham, whose maiden name was Howell, a native of Orange county, New York, and the daughter of Lewis and Sarah Ann (Anway) Howell. The ancestry of both the Howells and Anways came from Wales and were among the first settlers of Long Island. Her grandfather Anway was a soldier in the Revolutionary war and his three sons were in the war of 1812. Mrs. Boyd has now a bill of the old continental money in which the soldiers received their pay, dated in 1776. Her father, Lewis Howell, was born in Florida, Orange county, New York. Mr. Howell came to Iowa and settled west of Point Pleasant, Hardin county, in 1857. Miss Howell had had experience as a teacher in her native state, and she taught a short time after coming to this county, teaching the first school in Tipton township in a log shanty, or temporary preemption cabin, through the cracks of which the pestering little prairie snakes would crawl. This was then the only school in the southwestern part of the county, embracing what is now the townships of Tipton, Grant and Concord, there being no settlement for twenty miles west or southwest. There are now in those townships over thirty good and well furnished school houses, besides the fine new graded school building at Hubbard. Wading across sloughs and swamps and enduring other hardships which teaching undermined Miss Howell’s health. After her marriage to Mr. Boyd she was of great assistance to him in his official duties, doing much of the required clerical work. Two children were born to her marriage with Mr. Boyd, Fannie A. Boyd and Howell Mitchell Boyd. The former was born in Eldora, Iowa, August 19, 1880. In her childhood she joined the Presbyterian church and ever led a true Christian life; to many poor families she was an angel of mercy, frequently visiting the homes where sympathy and woman’s refining touches were strangers, and made the bleak walls of haunt and hovel a more abiding place because of her presence. She became an accomplished musician, having completed the three years’ course in music at Coe College, along with other studies, and was prepared to teach music, but failing health caused her to forego teaching. Life her parents, she took a very active interest as a member of the Presbyterian church and was an earnest worker in the Sabbath school. Early in January, 1911, she went to Des Moines to undergo an operation, which was unsuccessful, and after a brief illness she passed to her rest on January 15, 1911, lamented by a wide circle of friends and admirers. Why one just entering upon woman’s estate and whose life gave so much of promise of good to the world should pass from among us is not clearly apparent, but the poet painted a bright picture for the grief-stricken ones when it was declared that, "The things which seem so mysterious shall be clear and bright as the day, and the toils of the road will seem lovely when we get to the end of the way."

Howell Mitchell Boyd, mentioned above, was born at Eldora, Iowa, May 17, 1884. He attended Coe College Academy at Cedar Rapids. Not being robust of constitution, he was compelled to avoid indoor work and he consequently took up farming and truck gardening. He is an earnest student and well read, and he has completed several courses of home study, among which was one in surveying and mapping, and another in book-keeping, in both of which he has attained proficiency. He also takes and carefully peruses a half dozen journals on agriculture, and studies the subject from books, which, combined with practical experience, makes him a scientific and successful agriculturist. He and his mother still reside in Eldora. Their fine farm in Pleasant township consists of sixty acres well improved and under a high state of cultivation. It lies at the east edge of Eldora, and they also own valuable property in various places in Eldora. Mrs. Boyd, now advanced in years, is a very estimable woman, one of the few of the county’s early pioneers. She is a woman of deep religious conviction and beautiful Christian character, a lady of culture and intellectual attainments, and she enjoys the friendship of a wide circle of acquaintances.

James M. Boyd was always a staunch Republican and he took a deep interest in the affairs of his party since its organization. Religiously, he was a worthy Presbyterian and he gave liberally of his means in support of the same. He was a good and useful man, whom to know was to admire and respect.

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