Conditions Governing Use

Manuscript collections in the VMI Archives are made available for educational and research use. The VMI Archives should be cited as the source. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any copyright holders. Materials from our collections may not be redistributed, published or reproduced without permission from the VMI Archives. Contact the VMI Archives for additional information.

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Robert A. Boyd notebook and diary, 1864-1865. MS 0092. VMI Archives, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia.

Biographical / Historical

Robert Alexander Boyd was born in 1842 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. He graduated from VMI in 1863. He served as a 1st Sergeant, Company D, 1st Regiment, Confederate States Engineers. After the Civil War, he was a farmer. Boyd died in 1909 in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of a one volume notebook and diary (approximately 45 pages) written by Robert A. Boyd. It contains personal notes (December 1864 to April 1865) and brief diary entries (January 1; April 3 to 13, 1865). The diary portion covers activities of the 1st Engineers Regiment during the last few days of the Civil War. The diary also mentions the surrender at Appomattox, Virginia, and includes a pencil sketch of surrender site. Notes concern supplies, furloughs, desertions, guard rosters, and maxims and quotations from books.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Appomattox (Va.)
• Confederate States of America. Army—Corps of Engineers
• Diaries
• Notebooks
• Soldiers—Virginia—Diaries
• United States—History—Civil War, 1861-1865
• United States—History—Civil War, 1861-1865—Personal narratives—Confederate
• Virginia Military Institute—Class of 1863