A native of Warren County; Iowa; Cyrus F. Boyd served a year and a half as an orderly sergeant with the Fifteenth Iowa Infantry before becoming first lieutenant in Company B of the Thirty-Fourth Iowa Infantry. His diary - expanded in 1896 from a pocket diary he carried on his campaigns from Indianola; Iowa; to Lake Providence; Louisiana - offers a full account of soldiering in the Union army. Before his promotion; Boyd was an intermediary between privates and company officers; a position that offered him unique opportunities to observe the attitudes and activities of both the unit leaders and their men. The outspoken Boyd frankly expresses his opinions of his comrades and his commanders; candidly depicts camp life; and intricately details the gory events on the battlefield. Although not always pleasant reading; The Civil War Diary of Cyrus F. Boyd is a vibrant; honest chronicle of one man's experiences in the bloody conflict.
#3110833 in Books Louisiana State Univ Pr 1992-06Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.50 x 6.50 x 1.25l; #File Name: 0807116866470 pages
Review
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Africans in Colonial LouisianaBy funner thingsI started Africans in Colonial LA because I was interested in learning more about the historty of the state after living in LA for several years and really enjoy New Orleans--don't need Mardi Gras to have a good time; but Mardi Gras is fun. This book is fascinating in its description of the early years of the French colony. The French apparently never planned to settle the delta area so few settlers arrived in the early days and a large number died from disease; starvation; and Indian attacks--something I didn't associate with LA. Like persons sent to Australia rather than be imprisoned in England; French criminals and others were sent to LA without concern about their survival. The goal of the French was protecting the entrance of the Mississippi River from English colonization so only maintained a small force with Indian allies to accomplish securing the delta and River. The French also did not another colony to compete with the West Indies so NO was really off the beaten path for ships. The book is so very interesting and well written and I haven't even gotten into slavery and settling NO. I did find that Africans skilled in growing rice were sent to LA to provide food for the starving colony. Early on then;the skills contributed by these enslaved people contributed to the growth of the colony; but at the terrible cost of freedom and separation from family; community and life. Just think; about a hundred years later; Benjamin January (Barbara Hambly) lived and worked in a thriving NO. LA was already becoming part of American history. Really liking this book!3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. One of the best books ever written about Louisiana history and the arrival of Africans to the Americas.By MDamianI had a year of Louisiana history in 8th grade; as all Louisiana kids do; and this book blew me away. I'm not quite done with it yet; but it's life-changing - especially if you are of Afro-Creole descent. But this book is still an awesome read for anybody who's interested in Louisiana history; the settling of America; Euro-colonialism; trans-Atlantic slave trade; etc. There is so much that is glossed over and "hidden" in the history books you find at schools; and in general knowledge/folklore across Louisiana. This book opens it all up.One of the best parts about this book is that it's very matter-of-fact. No slant. It's based on written records retrieved from various parts of Louisiana USA (New Orleans; Pointe Coupee Parish; etc); France; and Spain. The author has done a tremendous amount of study to write this book.Wish I knew about this book years ago!!! A debt of gratitude to Gwendoly Midlo Hall !!!9 of 10 people found the following review helpful. Creoles Are Who?!By Big Sistah PattyThis book has been on my book list for a while. I finally purchased it. I thought my money would not be wasted. I wasn't disappointed.The folks who call themselves creoles who are they really? Ms. Hall answers this question quite nicely. The foundation of LA culture and society owe its heritage to the Africans; i.e. Bambara; Woloof; Yoruba; Mina; Chamba; etc. However; the Senegambians are the true foundation of LA culture. These Africans came directly from the continent; not the West Indies.I give this book a 4.5 star rating. The reasons I could not give it a 5 star rating is for the following reason:First; the author uses terms that I am sure the average reader isn't familiar; though her writing style is not laborious. I feel that she could have solved this minor; yet irritating issue; by simple including a glossary.Secondly; I feel that that the last chapter was an add on for the Point Coupee and Louisiana folks. I did not feel that it tied in directly with the overall them of the book; and I found myself annoyed and barely able to complete the last chapter.Otherwise; the book is very informative about Africans in colonial Louisiana and the development of Afro Creole culture. I know that this book will set a lot of myths on its head. I would highly encourage all LA folks; West Africans (Senegambimas); African Americans; the French and all others who have an interest in African Creole development and how the Spanish and French involvement played out. The term Creole has a very interesting history and the author educates us. The original Creoles of LA were the children and grand children of the native Africans where 2/3 came out of the Senegambia region i.e. Bambara; Wolof; etc. The following excerpt interested me greatly:"By the nineteenth century; the mixed-blood creoles of Louisiana who acknowledged their African descent emphasized and took greatest pride in their French ancestry. They defined creole to mean racially mixed; enforced endogamous marriage among their own group; and distinguished themselves from and look down upon blacks and Anglo-Afro Americans; though their disdain stemmed from cultural as well as racial distinctions. A recent study indicates that in New Orleans during the 1970s; the designation "black" and "creole" were irreconcilable. These young Afro-New Orleaneans embraced a definition of creole that is racially rather than culturally defined; as well as being a-historical.Edward Braithwaite; writing about Jamaica; defined creolization as a social cultural continuum radiating outward from the slave community and affecting the entire culture in varying degrees. This definition is relevant for the United States as well as for the Caribbean. It is especially significant for Louisiana; where the slave culture was early and thoroughly Africanized and the first generation of creole slaves grew up in stable; nuclear families composed of African mothers and fathers and Creole siblings."Who were these first French settlers in Louisiana? This excerpts answers this question quite nicely:"The French colonization of Louisiana became to a great extent a penal colonization. During 1717 and 1718; the sentences of prisoners who had been condemned to the galleys were commuted; and these prisoners were sent to Louisiana to work for three years. The prisoners were brought to the ports under heavy guard and chained aboard the ships. Also during this period; soldiers who had deserted; vagabonds; and person without means were placed upon lists of those to be deported to Louisiana. Some had been arrested for acts of violence; murders; debauchery; and drunkenness; but they were mostly beggars and vagabonds from Paris and all the provinces of France."I highly recommend this book.
