Thomas B. Davis Collection 1862-1864

Access and use

Location of collection:
Virginia Military Institute Archives
Preston Library
Virginia Military Institute
345 Letcher Ave.
Lexington, VA 24450-0304
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Jeffrey S. Kozak
Phone: (540) 464-7516
Phone: (540) 464-7566
Fax: (540) 464-7089

Summary

Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

The Thomas B. Davis collection contains two items. The first is a letter from Davis to his sister, Mrs. Camillus Christian, dated March 22, 1863. This letter was written while Davis was a cadet at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, VA. In this letter he mentions activities at VMI, Civil War news ("a considerable cavalry fight on the Rappahannock"), the unusual late snows, and provides an early use of the term ratas a reference to new cadets ("The legislature is still cutting up about our maltreating the new cadets, or as we call them, Rats....says that we are a set of precocious youths who came here to avoid conscription"). The second item in the collection is a VMI cadet account book containing school expenses.

Biographical / historical:

Thomas Bowker Davis was born in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1843 (some records show 1842). He entered the Virginia Military Institute in January 1862 and resigned in January 1864 in order to join the Confederate Army. Davis enlisted as a Private in Company D, 2nd Virginia Cavalry Regiment. He was mortally wounded in action and captured on October 8, 1864 near Fisher's Hill; he died in prison on October 20.

Physical description:
The collection consists of 2 items.