University of Virginia Library

In mid-November of 1862, Lee ordered Longstreet's corps to Fredericksburg, fearing an attack from Union General Ambrose E. Burnside's Army of the Potomac. From November 20 to November 22, the 38th Virginia joined the rest of Longstreet's corps in marching from their camp at Culpeper to their new camp near Fredricksburg, Virginia. As the Union soldiers made their own preparations just across the Rappahannock River, the 38th drilled, served picket duty, and underwent inspections (Gregory 29).

"Sister Mary" is Mary Ann Booker Sparks (1825-1872), the older sister of James and John Booker. See Booker letters of August 3, 1862 and April 29, 1864.

According to the OED, "inst." is an abbreviation for "instant," which refers to the current calendar month; for example, the 10th instant is the tenth day of the current month.

"Clifton Pinick" probably is Charles Clifton Penick, who was with Company D from its founding in May of 1861. He served as a Quarter Master Sergeant, and was in the Confederate Army until he was paroled at Appomatox in 1865. He later became a missionary in West Africa and the Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church Richmond at Shenandoah Flats (Gregory 117). Penick is also mentioned in John Booker's letter of February 19, 1862.