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Start Over Collection Thomas B. Davis papers, 1862/1864 Date range 1862 Subjects Virginia Military Institute—Slang

Thomas B. Davis papers, 1862/1864 2 items

Davis, Thomas B. (Thomas Bowker), 1842-1864

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.

  1. Virginia Military Institute Archives

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