I am from the line of Stephen Southard Heard, who is buried
in Lincoln Par., LA. I have done a good bit of hunting for
info concerning the Col. of the 17th Louisana. I have two
GG-GFs who were in Co. B, 17th LA. I would love to claim
Col. Heard as ours, but I don't believe we can. I can find
NO EVIDENCE to support this notion.

My GG-GF Geo. Ephriam Heard was in the 31st LA. Stephen
Southard Heard was his uncle. George was one of five Heard
brothers who fought in the Lost Cause.

A study of the 1860 Louisiana census shows there were two
S. S. Heards, of the appropriate age, living in LA. Samuel
Smith Heard was living in Morehouse Par. Before that, he
was in MS. After the war, it is evident that he returned to
MS, where he died.

Both S. S. Heards burials can be found on Find-A-Grave, with cemetery stone photos. By studying the evidence, rather than wishful thinking, along with the process of
elimination, it can be seen that Samuel Smith Heard was the
appropriate choice to have been the commander of the 17th.
Besides, there is his cemetery stone with "Gen'l." clearly
inscribed, screaming at us, that he is the right choice.

Regards ............ Rocky