Born in Pennsylvania in 1834 to English immigrants, Edward Boots enlisted in the 101st Pennsylvania Infantry on October 29, 1861. By November 13, 1862, he had risen to the rank of Quartermaster Sergeant. In the spring of 1864, his unit was serving in North Carolina and fought in the Battle of Plymouth. On April 20. 1864, the entire Union garrison was forced to surrender after becoming trapped between Confederate naval and land forces.

Boots was subsequently sent to Andersonville where he arrived in May of 1864. During his imprisonment, Boots saw and endured some of the prison’s worst conditions. He witnessed the trial of the Raiders and the high death rate of August 1864. During his service Boots wrote letters home and he was able to write and send a letter home before his death at Andersonville. The last letter he sent was dated June 23, 1864. In the letter he tells his family he is heathy, and that he wants to hear from them. He also hopes a prisoner exchange would occur soon. He never lived to see an exchange. Boots contracted scurvy near the end of August. He died on September 12, 1864, and is buried in grave 8606.