Sempronius Hamilton Boyd (1828 - 1894)

Ancestors

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 The War Years 1.2 After the War: 2 Research Notes 3 Sources

Biography

Colonel Sempronius "Pony" Hamilton Boyd was a nineteenth-century politician, lawyer, and judge. Though his family were slaveholders, he fought for the Union Army in the Civil War. Afterward, he served as a member of the United States House of Representatives and was the United States minister to Siam.

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Sempronius "Pony" Boyd was born 28 May 1828 in Williamson County, Tennessee, near Nashville. He was the son of Marcus Boyd and Eliza Hamilton.^[1] He was about two years old when his family was enumerated in the 1830 census of Williamson County. ^[2]

Pony's family moved to Greene County, Missouri in 1840, where his father purchased 200 acres of homestead property about two miles east of Springfield, where he had a large farm.^[3] There, he was educated at the private school of John A Stephens, in Springfield. He left school at age seventeen to clerk in the store of D. Johnson & Co. for about two years.^[4]

Shortly after the 1850 census,^[5] he moved to California. He mined in the placers of the Yuba, Feather, and Moquelnes rivers, and taught school at Volcano, in Amador County.^[1][6]

He returned to Springfield, Missouri in about 1855, via Nicaragua and New Orleans. He studied law under Judge William C. Price, and was admitted to the bar in 1856.^[4][1]

He married Mary Margaret McElhaney on 11 July 1855 in Greene County, Missouri. Born in 1838, Mary was the daughter of Robert James McElhaney and Cordelia Margaret Bunch.^[7][8] They had three known children:

1. Rufus Marcus Boyd (d. bef 1870)
2. Cordelia Margaret Boyd (1862-1928)
3. Robert Marcus Boyd (1869-1896)

Boyd served as mayor of Springfield in 1856, was the first clerk of the probate and common pleas court of Greene County, and was twice city attourney.^[1]

The War Years

At the outbreak of the Civil War, his family was sharply divided. He and his father were Unionists, despite being slaveholders, while the rest of his adult brothers favored secession.

His father, a member of the Missouri State Legislature, assisted in the organization of Phelps' regiment of Home Guards in June of 1861, and was elected their Lieutenant Colonel. Sempronius served as the Home Guard's Major.^[9][10]

On 2 August 1861, he was detached from the Home Guards to help raise recruits and organize the 24th Missouri Infantry. He served as its colonel until he resigned in April 1863.^[11]

After the War:

He was elected an Unconditional Unionist to the United States House of Representatives in 1862, prompting his resignation from the Army. There, he served as chairman of the Committee on Revisal and Unfinished Business from 1863 to 1865. Boyd was a member of the Republican National Committee from 1864 to 1868, was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1864, and was appointed judge of the court of the fourteenth judicial district in 1865.^[12]

Boyd resigned as circuit judge in 1866 in order to interest himself in the completion of the Southwest Pacific Railroad.^[1] He was elected back to the House of Representatives as a Republican in 1868, serving again from 1869 to 1871. There, he served as chairman of the Committee on Revolutionary Claims from 1869 to 1871.^[12] Because he favored rebel enfranchisement he was ostracized by his party.^[1]

In 1872, he founded the Springfield wagon factory, and resumed practicing law in 1874.^[1] He was appointed U.S. Minister and Consul General to Siam by President Benjamin Harrison in 1890, serving until 1892.^[12][13] He remained in Thailand for only one year, when his health forced his return and resignation.^[14]

in June 1894, Col. Boyd went on a trip to a fishing resort in Stone County, Missouri. He died there on 22 June.^[14] He was interred in Hazelwood Cemetery in Springfield.^[15]

Research Notes

Though he grew up in a household that owned enslaved people, he does not appear to have done so, himself. Indeed, his membership in the Unconditional Union Party suggests that he had embraced Emancipation.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} Biographical History: Holcombe, Greene County, page 743.
2. ↑ 1830 Census: "United States Census, 1830," database with images, citing Page: 162; Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: M19; Digital film/folder number: 005156023; FHL microfilm: 0024540; Image number: 323, FamilySearch Record: XHPT-5QS (accessed 2 January 2024) FamilySearch Image: 33SQ-GYY8-S8M5, Marcus Boyd in Williamson, Tennessee, United States.

   1830 United States Federal Census: Williamson, Tennessee

   Household Ages	Number	Probable Persons
   Males (b. 1801-1810)	1	Marcus
   Males (b. 1826-1830)	1	Sempronius
   Females (b. 1811-1815)	1	Eliza

3. ↑ Homestead Patent Certificates:
   • Boyd, Marcus (Greene, Missouri) Cash Sale homestead patent file, final certificate no. 6448, 1 May 1845, Springfield, Missouri, Land Office, database and images, General Land Office Records (Certificate : accessed 3 Jan 2024); citing Records of the Bureau of Land Management, Record Group 49, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
   • Boyd, Marcus (Greene, Missouri) Cash Sale homestead patent file, final certificate no. 6457, 1 May 1834, Springfield, Missouri, Land Office, database and images, General Land Office Records (Certificate : accessed 3 Jan 2024); citing Records of the Bureau of Land Management, Record Group 49, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
   • Boyd, Marcus (Greene, Missouri) Cash Sale homestead patent file, final certificate no. 6981, 1 Jun 1845, Springfield, Missouri, Land Office, database and images, General Land Office Records (Certificate : accessed 3 Jan 2024); citing Records of the Bureau of Land Management, Record Group 49, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
   • Boyd, Marcus (Greene, Missouri) Cash Sale homestead patent file, final certificate no. 11820, 1 Nov 1852, Springfield, Missouri, Land Office, database and images, General Land Office Records (Certificate : accessed 3 Jan 2024); citing Records of the Bureau of Land Management, Record Group 49, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
   • Boyd, Marcus (Greene, Missouri) Cash Sale homestead patent file, final certificate no. 11902, 1 Nov 1852, Springfield, Missouri, Land Office, database and images, General Land Office Records (Certificate : accessed 3 Jan 2024); citing Records of the Bureau of Land Management, Record Group 49, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Regional History: Conard, History of Missouri, Page 350.
5. ↑ 1850 Census: "United States Census, 1850," database with images, citing Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: M432; Line: 10; Digital film/folder number: 004200560; FHL microfilm: 443608; Image number: 57; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N01142-3, FamilySearch Record: MDZH-KFD (accessed 5 January 2024) FamilySearch Image: S3HT-6L47-T7D, Sempsonuis Boyd (22) in Springfield, Greene, Missouri, United States. Born in Tennessee, United States.

   1850 United States Federal Census: Springfield, Greene, Missouri

   Name	Sex	Age	Occupation	Birth Place
   Marcus Boyd	M	47		Tennessee
   Dorinda C Boyd	F	34		Kentucky
   Sempsonuis Boyd	M	22		Tennessee
   Rufus K Boyd	M	20		Tennessee
   Erastus Boyd	M	18		Tennessee
   Audley S H Boyd	M	16		Tennessee
   Marcus Boyd	M	14		Tennessee
   William C Boyd	M	12		Tennessee
   Robert Boyd	M	10		Missouri
   Theodorick J Boyd	M	8		Missouri
   Martha T Boyd	F	5		Missouri
   Mary L Boyd	F	3		Missouri
   Ellza A Boyd	F	6 months		Missouri

6. ↑ 1852 Census: "California State Census, 1852," database with images, citing Page: 76; Line: 26; Digital film/folder number: 004640620; FHL microfilm: 909229; Image number: 178; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N03892-4, FamilySearch Record: V4NZ-T9W (accessed 5 January 2024) FamilySearch Image: 939N-DW94-5J, S H Boyd (24) in Calaveras, California, United States. Born in Tennessee.
7. ↑ Marriage: "Missouri Marriages, 1750-1920," database, citing Digital film/folder number: 007578652; FHL microfilm: 897454; Record number: 169; Packet letter: C, FamilySearch Record: Q29P-YNGQ (accessed 5 January 2024), S H Boyd marriage to Margaret M. McElhaney on 11 Jul 1855 in Greene, Missouri, United States.
8. ↑ Marriage: "Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991," database with images, citing Digital film/folder number: 007424398; Image number: 253, FamilySearch Record: 6XDJ-7Q47 (accessed 5 January 2024) FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-99CT-BSGM, S H Boyd marriage to Margaret M. McElhan? 11 July 1855 in Greene, Missouri, United States.
9. ↑ Regional History: Conard, History of Missouri, Page 349.
10. ↑ Military: Military Service Record pages 1-2, Green Co. Home Guards, Missouri, from 11 Jun 1861 to 2 Aug 1861, Springfield.
11. ↑ Military: Military Service Record page 12, "Field and Staff Muster-in Roll" Col Sempronius H Boyd, 24 Reg't Missouri Infantry.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1 12.2} Congressional Biography: United States Congress. "Sempronius H. Boyd (id: B000720)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. (accessed 5 Jan 2024) "Boyd, Sempronius Hamilton"
13. ↑ 1890 Newspaper Clipping: "Presidential Nominations 1890" Newspapers.com, Harrisburg Telegraph, September 30, 1890, page 1, Newspapers Clip: 138114927 (accessed 5 January 2024)
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} Obituary: ""Pony" Boyd at Rest" Newspapers.com, The Eudora Weekly News, June 28, 1894, page 1, Newspapers Clip: 138115975 (accessed 5 January 2024)
15. ↑ Memorial: "Find a Grave," database with images, Find A Grave: Memorial #6799919 (accessed 5 January 2024), Memorial page for Sempronius Hamilton Boyd (28 May 1828-22 Jun 1894), citing Hazelwood Cemetery, Springfield, Greene County, Missouri, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.

• Military Service Record: Fold3, US, Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Missouri, 1861-1865, database and images; citing National Archives Catalog ID 300398, Publication M405. Subscription Required.
• Conard, Howard Louis, ed. Encyclopedia Of The History of Missouri, a compendium of history and biography for ready reference (The Southern History Company, New York, 1901), Vol. 1
• Holcombe, R.I., History of Greene county, Missouri, ... including a history of its township, towns, and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri ... biographical sketches and portraits of prominent citizens, (St. Louis, MO: Western Historical Company, 1883).
• 1840 Census: "United States Census, 1840," database with images, citing Page: 167; Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: M704; Digital film/folder number: 005154905; FHL microfilm: 0024550; Image number: 340, FamilySearch Record: XHYM-Q5W (accessed 2 January 2024) FamilySearch Image: 33SQ-GYB7-8WH, Marcus Boyd in Williamson, Tennessee, United States.

1840 United States Federal Census: Williamson, Tennessee

Household Ages	Number	Probable Persons
Males (b. 1801 - 1810)	2	Marcus
		[—]
Males (b. 1821-1825)	3	[—]
		[—]
		[—]
Males (b. 1826-1830)	1	Sempronius
Males (b. 1831 - 1835)	3	Rufus
		Erastus
		Audley
Males (b. 1836 - 1840)	2	Marcus
		William
Females (b. 1801 - 1810)	1	Elizabeth
Slaves-Males (b. 1805-1816)	1	[—]
Slaves-Males (b. 1831-1840)	2	[—]
		[—]
Slaves-Females (b. 1817-1830)	2	[—]
		[—]
Slaves-Females (b. 1831-1840)	2	[—]
		[—]

• 1870 Census: "United States Census, 1870," database with images, citing Page: 154; Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: M593; Line: 27; Digital film/folder number: 004273252_001_M9CF-TFX; FHL microfilm: 000552276; Image number: 62; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N01555-3, FamilySearch Record: M463-Y7S (accessed 5 January 2024) FamilySearch Image: S3HT-6SZD-CB, Sempronius Boyd (40) in Campbell Township, Greene, Missouri, United States. Born in Tennessee.

1870 United States Federal Census: Campbell Township, Greene, Missouri

Name	Sex	Age	Occupation	Birth Place
Robert J McEllary	M	55		Tennessee
Cordelia McEllary	F	50		Tennessee
Lula McEllary	F	16		Missouri
Sempronius Boyd	M	40		Tennessee
Margaret Boyd	F	31		Tennessee
Cordia Boyd	F	8		Missouri
Robert Boyd	M	10m		Missouri
Emma Fellow	F	9		Missouri
Clara Fellow	F	6		Missouri
Ada Fellow	F	2		Missouri
Phoeba Ridge	F	17		Cherokee Nation

• 1880 Census: "United States Census, 1880," database with images, citing Volume: 1; Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: T9; Affiliate Line Number: 00042; Digital film/folder number: 005161222; FHL microfilm: 1254688; Image number: 139; Sheet number: 218; Sheet letter: A, FamilySearch Record: M6X3-NH4 (accessed 5 January 2024) FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9YBV-KCG, S H Boyd (52), married, Attorney At Law, head of household in Springfield, Greene, Missouri, United States. Born in Tennessee, United States.

1880 United States Federal Census: Springfield, Greene, Missouri

Name	Sex	Age	Status	Relation	Occupation	Birth Place
S. H. Boyd	M	52	Married	Head	Attorney At Law	Tennessee
Margaret M. Boyd	F	41	Married	Wife		Missouri
Cordia Boyd	F	18	Single	Daughter	At Home	Missouri
Robt. M. Boyd	M	10	Single	Son		Missouri

• 1890 Census: "1890 Veterans Schedules of the U.S. Federal Census," database with images, The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Special Schedules of the Eleventh Census (1890) Enumerating Union Veterans and Widows of Union Veterans of the Civil War; Series Number: M123; Record Group Title: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs; Record Group Number: 15; Census Year: 1890, Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8667 #281427 (accessed 5 January 2024), Sanpronius H Boyd in Springfield, Greene, Missouri, USA.

See also:

• FamilySearch Person: LQ5R-FNJ
• Wikidata: Item Q945472, en:Wikipedia
• Johnson, Rossiter, ed., The twentieth century biographical dictionary of notable Americans. (Boston: The Biographical Society, 1904) Vol. I. BOYD, Sempronius Hamilton.
• Library of Congress, Abraham Lincoln Papers, digital images, Sempronius Boyd.