George Booth was born around 1844 in England to William and Ann Booth. The family immigrated to America around 1850 and settled in Buffalo, New York. His father worked as a plumber, and by 1860, the family owned $1,000 of real estate and $300 of personal property.
Booth enlisted in the Union army on November 6, 1861, and mustered in as a private in Company H of the 100th New York Infantry the following day. According to his military service records, he was 5 feet, 7 inches tall, with blue eyes and brown hair. He was discharged for disability on December 27, 1862. He spent the next few months working as a tinsmith in Buffalo. He enlisted in the Union army again on September 29, 1863, and mustered in as a private in Company B of the 20th New York Cavalry on October 10. The regiment took part in the siege of Petersburg and the Appomattox campaign. He supported Democratic candidate George B. McClellan in the election of 1864, writing, "if you want to have this war carried on four years longer vote for Old Abe." He was promoted to corporal on May 1, 1864, but reduced to the ranks on May 1, 1865. He mustered out on July 31, 1865.
Booth returned to Buffalo after the war, and he married Catherine Holden around 1868. They had at least eight children: Nellie, born around 1870; Flora, born around 1871; William, born around 1873; Harold, born around 1874; Clara, born around 1877; Jennie, born around 1880; Alice, born around 1883; and Grace, born around 1889. Booth worked as a stained-glass manufacturer. He joined the Grand Army of the Republic on September 3, 1903. He died on January 22, 1920.