Archive of letters sent by Thomas Boisseau Booth (1840-1923), graduate of Virginia Military Academy (class of 1860), and private in Company I of the 3rd Virginia Cavalry.

A group of seven letters, all written by Thomas Boisseau Booth to his cousin, paramour, and future wife Agnes S. Lyon. Letters include: Fairfield, Dinwiddie County, [Virginia], 4 August 1858. 2 pages. -- Nubbin Ridge, Dinwiddie County, [Virginia], 21 September 1859. 4 pages. -- Holly Wood, Dinwiddie County, 22 July 1860. 4 pages. -- Boling, Chesterfield County, 27 July 1860. 4 pages. -- Nubbin Ridge, Dinwiddie County, 2 August 1860. 6 pages. -- Nubbin Ridge, Dinwiddie County, 8 August 1860. 5 pages. -- Richmond, [Virginia], 29 May 1861. 10 pages.

The first six letters, dated from 1858 to 1860, are written while Booth is still a cadet at Virginia Military Institute, which he attended for 3 years and graduated in 1860. The letters are filled with longing for his beloved, such as the opening to his 2 August 1860 letter, where he confesses that despite the late hour, "I feel more like writing a few lines to one who is, and always has been the sole possessor of my heart, than I do like sleeping." Booth ends the letter somewhat dramatically: "I must see you, I can stand it no longer...this separation is death."

After Booth graduated from VMI in 1860, he enthusiastically joined the Confederate army. The final letter included in this archive is written from the very earliest days of his service in the 3rd Virginia Cavalry, the day of his enlistment on 29 May 1861. In that letter, he shares a story of the enthusiasm both of his fellow cavalrymen but also of local Virginians: "After leaving you at Mr. Miller, we halted on Sycamore Street for those men who had not equipped themselves to do so...After remaining a while we took up the line of march and a very disagreeable one it was, dust flying in every direction, sun coming down hot enough to almost roast an egg, about half way we halted to feed and to take a few refreshments ourselves and thanks to my Dear Cousin for the very nice eatables. I will assure you they went nice, in about one hour we resumed the line of march but before we had gone far we met up with one of our Old Virginia gentlemen who insisted upon the whole Troop going by his house and taking a glass of Toddy with him well I must say very little persuasion was required and accordingly the whole Troop was drawn up in a line before the door and a large water tub of mint Julep was made and before we left we pretty near emptied the tub. Well Red in ordinary occasion I do not approve of drinking as you well know, but upon such an occasion as that I must say I can't blame them for tasting a little but I am sorry to say some two or three got pretty messy but not so much so as not to know what they were doing, the above mentioned gentleman was a Mr. Drewery a real wholesome gentleman...Mr. Drewery wished the Dinwiddies Cavalry much success and gave us an invitation to a barbecue or rather said if we returned all right he would give us a barbecue in the beautiful grove in front of his house, the now merry party gave three cheers for Drewery and resumed the line of march and even now every once and a while some fellow will cry out - three cheers for Drewery...You had better not mention this as it is about my fellow soldiers + countrymen and I should hate mightily for a bad report to get out about them, and people are so apt to make big things out of nothings. You understand me." He continues with the reaction from Richmond: "When we reached this place we were cheered by large crowds of women & boys but the men seem to pay very little attention to us except to ask where we were from & I heard a large crowd of Ladies cheering the Dinwiddie Troop and amid their cheerings I heard one exclaim Welcome Brave & Noble Soldiers some of the members could not help hollering, she seemd to be so earnest in what she said and I really believe she felt it."

He continues with news of their orders: "We were mustered into service for twelve months and instead of going to Ashland as expected we are ordered to Williamsburg, we leave in the morning altho I would prefer going to Ashland yet any place will suit me as well as this, I never liked the place and never expect to like it." The end of his letter includes his encounter with Confederate President Jefferson Davis, although Booth was a bit preoccupied: "Jeff Davis arrived here this morning at six, from Petersburg as I had not been to breakfast and was very hungry I preferred eating to seeing Jeff."

Booth's ardor and devotion to Agnes are evident in these seven letters. The two would marry on 2 November 1862, presumably when Booth was home on furlough. He is listed as General Semmes's courier on 15 March 1862, and later was listed as "wounded on retreat up peninsula" on 9 May 1862. As a part of the Cavalry Division of the Army of Northern Virginia, the 3rd VA Cavalry was assigned to the brigade of Brig. General Fitzhugh Lee, and saw action at Antietam (Sharpsburg), Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Brandy Station, Gettysburg, and the Wilderness.

In 1865, the brigade was temporarily disbanded to forage through winter. After reforming in mid-March, they fought at the Battle of Five Forks, and then cut their way through Federal lines where they escaped at the Appomattox Court House. After the war, Booth returned to farming in Dinwiddie, Virginia. With Agnes, he had seven children.

[Civil War, Union, Confederate, Manuscripts, Letters, Documents, Ephemera]