William D. Boots
Corporal, Co. H
139th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry
Private, April 1863
Born Feb 16, 1840 in Marion Twp, Beaver Co., PA, son of Rev. John & Sylvia (Coleman) Boots. Enrolled July 30, 1862 in the 139th PA at Birmingham (South Side), Allegheny Co., PA with his first cousin Will Coleman. Mustered in Sept 1, 1862 as a Private in Co. H. Promoted Sept 10, 1864 to Corporal. Mustered out June 21, 1865 at Washington, DC. Fought in many big battles, such as Fredericksburg and Gettysburg, and was present at Gen. Lee's surrender at Appomattox, VA. Never Married. Lived with his spinster sister, Lucy Emma Boots. Died March 2, 1903 in Wayne Twp, Lawrence Co., PA. Died of a heart attack while tying up a cow to milk her. Buried in North Sewickley Cemetery. GAR Marker #1426.
The following excerpts from letters are transcribed as they were written with capitalization, punctuation and spelling errors.
Will's two letters are particularly difficult to read.
Letter from brother Edward Nicholas Boots, 101st PA to sister Lucy Emma Boots, Sept 4th, 1862
I am sorry that Will enlisted in any of the companies about home. I thought that you all knew Will Coleman too well to let him lead you & I can plainly see that Will has been led by him. I have no doubt, but you will miss William very much, for I know that he was a great fellow about home, but you must resolve to bear his absence & if you can resolve to bear it cheerfully, keep a cheerful face, though your heart should be sad, do this for Mother's sake, for I know, that this separation of her children for her is a severe stroke & you must do all that you can to keep her cheerful. You must learn to do much that you never expected to have to do, for the end of the war is not yet, but ever remember that you have two brothers in the army & if they are worthy of you I feel sure that you will have courage enough to be worthy of them, & as I know the difficulties that surround you, I shall love you the more for overcoming them. If you have not spread it abroad that Horace (my Great Great Grandfather) is over 18, so that the assessor gets to hear of it & comes back again, you kneed have no fear of his being drafted, for the draft is made from the assessor's list.
Letter from mother Sylvia (Coleman) Boots to Edward Nicholas Boots, 101st, PA, May 11, 1863
William has been very poorly. The last letter he sent home with his likeness in full length was dated in April. He said he had got well but he looks so poor. We was told their was but one more Republican in his company. Oh how often I have wished he was with you.
Letter from Thomas French to Edward Nicholas Boots, 101st PA, May 14, 1863
They got a letter from William since the battle of Fredericksburg. He was well & came out of the battle safe. He says it was a pretty sharp place & I believe it was for he says the balls struck their gun barrels as they marched along but they stood up to it like the brave always do.
Letter from Lucy Emma Boots to Edward Nicholas Boots, 101st PA, May 24, 1863
We received three letters from Will since the seven days fight at Fredericksburg. He was in all the hardest fighting. His core carried the pontoons on their backs and laid them in the river. Part of them crossed and part of them laid on this side. Will was on this side, his part would advance in the morning and fall back at night. They were getting reinforcements. This was on Saturday. Will said he did not sleep any that night for he knew it would be another Sunday fight. On Sunday they were ordered out they crossed the bridge and was in the first rank. I think they were in Segewicks core and it was entirely cut to pieces. They took the heights of Salem. They were the first in Fredericksburg. Will said gen Howe told them to go to church and Will said some of them went to their last Church. He said the prisoners said they would be driven off the hights and so they was. Will said the officers took a big drink and started them after the rebs without any ammunition. So you can see what kind of officers we have. Both Boggs boys are wounded. Joe not very bad but Jack is. Will did not get hurt. He was very sick before the battle but had got better. He was that sick that he could not write but a few lines in a letter. He had the Diarrhea very bad.
Letter from Lucy Emma Boots to Edward Nicholas Boots, 101st PA, May 25, 1863
I got one [letter] from you to mother and one from Will to Horace. He was well and at White Oak Church Va. He said Sedgwick received their core the day he wrote he said after he had received them they went back to camp and had to wait two hours before Sedgwick came as he rode up and down the lines they cheered him. One of his aids got thrown from his horse as they were cheering and got his shoulder put out of place. William said they took him to a Colonel's tent and had no less than six doctors tending on him. Will said if it had been a private the whiskey and doctors would not have been so plenty. Will said the Generals face was red but his nose was redder.
Letter from Lucy Emma Boots to Edward Nicholas Boots, 101st PA, Aug 31, 1863
The letter we got from Will of Saturday complains a good deal. I think it is time for he has had a hard time of it. He never said anything of any account till this letter I speak of, and it is hard enough but he always kept it to himself, only when he had to carry wood three miles for the officers and it raining hard half of the time. We would like if you could get a furlough and go and see him for he don't associate with any of them and we know he is lonesom at least we think so for his company is nothing but blackguards and he is the only republican in it. Beihly, the man that ran for commissioner and got the nomination has a son in the 139th but not Wills company (possibly Corp. Benjamin K. Beighley, Co. D) said that it was an awful rough company. He said there was only one republican in it and he deserted. He did not know Will was in it and if he was the only one. I am going to send you Will's letter so you can see how he is used. If you want to tell him anything you had better write to us and we will write it to him for I think he has to get some one to read your letters, but he can read all of our letters. We got another letter from him today. He is well and at the same place.
Camp nere Waterlo virginia
September 15 1863
Brother nicolas
i reseved you ar kind leter last night - i was glad to here from you - But i wes sorry to here you was not wel - Which is a poor place to be sick - i had a little spel of sickness. But i am wel again - You ar leter was a good one and gave me good advise which i wil try and profit bye - We hav had awet spel and i think it is not over yet it look like rain today on Sadurday night about ten o'clock just as i was in Bed for us to pack up and Bready to move at amoment notise - there was quiet for a while But we got cald down and went to bed again - We nu the cavalry had crost and we had to support them at least we thought we had - on Sunday Plesenton drove the Rebels eigt miles an on monday evening he was at Colpeper Coart House an the Second Coar was there - We had got orders to b ready to move but not to pack up our hedquarters - they was al drunk an so they was [?] It is reported that Longstreet is in north carolina with his Coar an we ar looken to move at enny minit. [?] is not less than thirty miles from here an i think there is going to be a move of the hole army - Wel hav told you all the news - igot a leter from home thre dayes ago - they was wel - i want you to go an se if there is not a man in Company G of the name of [Go?] this is his ser name - his brother is in Company E - he wants him to rite - he has wanted me to tel for a long time an ifort - Wel nicolas i hav red mi Bible thru onse which i never told you - an i wil soon half it thru agin - i find it al ways nu an i find it mi gratest an best friend for ihav found verry few friends that came from Beaver - Wen iam tired my Bible i read an i find a friend init beter than all others Well ihav come off dril - Wel ihope thes fu lines may find you in going good health which is the best present that our hevenly father bestows on us. Wel iwill com to a close With mi leter - no moar at present.
but remains you ar Brother
William D. Boots
To Mr. e. n. Boots
Camp nere the rapihanick station, virginea
october the 6 863
Brother nicolas
i am wel at this time an ihope this wil find you in going the same i reseived youar leter this mor ning i was glad to here you was wel an in good helth Wel i toled you in the last leter we had marching order We left that same day an went thre miles stoped an in the mor ning started a Com to Culpeper Court house it was along an hard march We had to wade kricks an run up one hill and down another but we got anise Camp an had it nise after ower hard march with eight days rasheons We had no dril but had to clene up an put up ower tents with beds off the ground We had to fal in an slute ower Coar jeneral one day an that was all the bother we had with him We pased sulfer springs i drank of it i did not like it it has bin a grand plase but its day is past peopple wil com to se its ruins it is bernt down Wel after Sedwick had bin to se us we had to rase ower beds hier after that We had thre days in pese i was on guard wen i herd how division had toar down the next word was to here they had put up tents for i had here them holer We got order to fal in an move at eleven oclock off we went thru the dust We marched over a smal run on the rail road wich was one hundred feete high at one oclock at nite where if one fals step wud have sent you down We marched thru Culpeper it had som nise houses in it We then had rain an plenty til we rived at this plase an after we had got ower diner we toer down a nise house an put for the nite We got fixed up an prepared for Sunday We got order for ower Compny to go an join forse Compny f at Beverly foard We toar down thre houses We thought we wod hav a nise plase We then went off on picet gathered boards put up mi tent i then had to go to another post carry mi boards again thirty rods an to day i hav moved an had to cary them the same i can rite wel for i am provoked We ar garden the oreng an alexandria rail road you may rite wat you plese i can rede enne thing But Suckhome's division wod hav bin here but he had only two brigads an we hav thre i think if nothen hapens we wil winter here plese look over this mixed leter an tel me how you can rede mi leters i have roat in a grate herry for the mail is just agoing
rite soon
W D Boots
