Born in Pennsylvania in 1845. At the age of sixteen he enlisted as a drummer boy, the only position for what the authorities would accept him in Company I, Third Iowa Infantry, December 10, 1861 .When the regiment was consolidated with the Second Iowa, he became a private in Company F of that regiment and served until April 4, 1865, receiving his discharge at the age of nineteen. During his enlistment, he served with Col. Mann's battalion of the provisional division of the army of Tennessee and took part in the battle of Wise's Cross-Roads, North Carolina. He took an active part in all of the grand army gatherings. In fact, he was considerably underage at the close of the war, and began the study of medicine and surgery, graduating from a college in Cleveland, Ohio. He became a resident of Defiance in 1883, practicing his profession. Dr. Boyd was a man of undaunted public spirit and during his entire time of his residence in Defiance, he labored for the substantial upbuilding of the community. After his arrival here, he established "Bivouac Park" and engaged in breeding and training horses. He owned and bred many animals, which reflected credit upon his industry in this line. The Bivouac Park stud was well known throughout the country among horseman, and Defiance was in this way brought before the public and raised in the scale of prominence. In 1897, he was the choice of the people of this district for representative from Shelby County serving in the 27th Iowa General Assembly.