Thomas B. Davis papers

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
Restrictions:

There are no restrictions

Terms of access:

Manuscript collections in the VMI Archives are made available for educational and research use. The VMI Archives should be cited as the source. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any copyright holders. Materials from our collections may not be redistributed, published or reproduced without permission from the VMI Archives. Contact the VMI Archives for additional information.

Preferred citation:

Thomas B. Davis papers, 1862-1864. MS 0026. VMI Archives, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia.

Summary

Extent:
2 items
Creator:
Davis, Thomas B. (Thomas Bowker), 1842-1864
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Thomas B. Davis papers, 1862-1864. MS 0026. VMI Archives, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia.

Background

Scope and content:

The Thomas B. Davis papers contain two items. The first is a letter (dated March 22, 1863) from Davis to his sister, Camillus Christian. This letter was written while Davis was a cadet at VMI. 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 "rat" as 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 is a VMI cadet account book containing school expenses.

Written from VMI, Lexington, Virginia. Letter mentions activities at VMI, Civil War news, the unusual late snows, and provides an early use of the term "rat" as a reference to new cadets.

Biographical / historical:

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

Physical location:
Manuscripts stacks