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m. 8 Nov 1827
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| Born |
3 Oct 1801 |
Pittsylvania County, Virginia  |
| Died |
2 Sep 1887 |
Pittsylvania County, Virginia |
| Buried |
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Blair Cemetery, Pittsylvania County, Virginia |
| Father |
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| Mother |
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| Born |
1833 |
Pittsylvania County, Virginia |
| Died |
1875 |
Pittsylvania County, Virginia |
| Buried |
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| Born |
19 Sep 1828 |
Pittsylvania County, Virginia |
| Died |
30 Dec 1876 |
Richmond County, Georgia |
| Buried |
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Magnolia Cemetery, Richmond County, Georgia |
| Spouse |
Nannie Hutchings Carter | F7987 |
| Married |
31 Dec 1863 |
Pittsylvania County, Virginia |
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| Notes |
Married:
- Son of Drury and Chloe Blair is William J. Blair who married Nancy H. Carter 31 Dec 1863 d/o Stockley and Frances Carter. [See Pitts. Co., VA marriages p.24
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| Sources |
- [S187] Library of Virginia, https://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaxtf/view?docId=uva-sc%2Fviu01838.xml#scopecontent_1.1.
Biographical/Historical Information
James Booker and John Booker
The twins, John and James, were born to John Booker (1797-1859)and Nancy Blair Reynolds Booker (1796-1859)on October 10, 1840. Nancy and John had been married since November 15, 1824 and had four other children besides the twins: Mary Ann Booker Sparks (1825-1872), Armistead M. Booker (1827-1838), Caroline Booker (1833-1859) and William Booker (1836-1859).
Nancy also had another child --Margaret Benson Reynolds (1815-1867) --from a previous marriage to William Reynolds (March 29, 1814) (Austin).
In the first three months of 1859, typhoid fever struck the Booker family, killing Nancy, John Sr., Caroline and William. James and John were 19 years old. For the next two years, the twins stayed with relatives, including Aunt Kitty and Uncle John Blair, who later moved to Texas in 1860 (James Booker, September 6, 1861).
At the age of 21, James and John enlisted in the Confederate Army, the 38th Regiment of Virginia, on May 24, 1861 in Whitmell, Virginia, in Company D, 38th Virginia Regiment, Infantry (also known as "the Whitmell Guards").For more information about the regiment see 38th Virginia Infantryby G. Howard Gregory (E 581.5 38th .G73 1988). The Booker brothers remained in service throughout the war, and were both promoted to Sergeant sometime before April, 1864 (Gregory, 82).
In March of 1862, James was hospitalized in Richmond with chronic diarrhea, but returned to his company soon after. Both brothers were severely wounded at the Battle of Drewry's Bluff near Petersburg, Virginia, on May 16, 1864 and transferred to Chimborazo Hospital. John received a chest wound and James was wounded in the right thigh. Only James, however, would survive. John died of his wound on August 26, 1864.
After the war, James returned to Pittsylvania County and on October 31, 1867, he married Martha Ann Fulton (?-1923)(nicknamed "Pat") of Pittsylvania County, on October 31, 1867. She was one of the "sweethearts" mentioned in his letters. James and Pat Booker had seven children. They died within two months of each other in 1923. A typed page listing their children and mentioning her relatives can be found with the copies of the typescripts of the brothers' letters.
Chloe Unity Blair
Chloe Unity Blair (1833-1875) was born to Chloe Coleman Blair (1801-1854) and Drury Blair (1801-1864). Her father was Nancy Booker's younger brother, making James and John her first cousins. Chloe Unity had several brothers and sisters, some of whom James and John mention in their letters: Polly Ann, William, and Drury Addison "Addie" Blair, who briefly served in the 38th Regiment with the Bookers.
Unfortunately, all of Chloe Unity's letters to her Booker cousins were either destroyed or are as yet undiscovered. From their responses, however, we can see that both John and James greatly appreciated her letters. They depended upon her for news of the family and they often asked her to "remember" them to different family members. The Bookers also periodically asked their cousin to have their sister Mary forward certain items such as clothing or James' "soldier likeness" (October 4, 1863). Chloe Unity would send them gifts and provisions as well, prompting James to write, "I am under many obligations to you all for send ing us such a fine box it was a great treat to us," (October 4, 1863). James and John are always polite and solicitous in tone to their cousin, and yet the letters also convey warmth and friendship: having lost their parents and two siblings just before the war, John and James may have been especially close to "cousin Unity," who along with their sister Mary may have served as a kind of surrogate mother.
Indeed, when John married Martha Ann Fulton in October of 1867, he became Chloe's step-son-in-law, since Chloe had married Martha's father William Fulton (1821-18?) just a few months before. It is easy to imagine that the two cousins were pleased by this relationship, as their respective marriages unified and tightened the Booker and Blair families which had suffered so many losses during the war years.
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