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The 38th Virginia camped at winter quarters in Kinston, North Carolina from October 8, 1863 to January 30, 1864 (except for a brief period in early November, when the troops were in movement). Opinions of the camp varied: some soldiers did not like living in the "low, sandy, dismal looking region," but Corporal Linnaeus D. Watkins liked the "splendid long houses" and the abundance of supplies (Gregory, 46).

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 calendar month.

"Flem Gregory" probably refers to James F. Gregory of Company D, who enlisted with the Bookers at Whitmell. He was admitted to Richmond Hospital in July 1863. and was on sick furlough from July 20-August 29, 1863. He returned to Company D until he was wounded in action at Drury's Bluff on May 16, 1864. He entered the Richmond Hospital with a severe leg wound, then was transferred to a Danville hospital. He deserted from the Danville hospital on the 26th of September in 1864, but returned by the end of the year. He was taken prisoner at White Oak Road in April of 1865, but was released in June of 1865 (Gregory, 98). See also John Booker's letter of February 19, 1862, where he reports that "Fleman" has a severe fever.

Captain John Herndon (1838-?) enlisted in the Company D along with the Booker brothers on May 24, 1861 at Whitmell. John Herndon's brother Ralph organized the company and was its first captain, but he was not re-elected and therefore resigned. After serving as a lieutenant, John Herndon was appointed captain in July of 1862. He remained with the regiment until April 1, 1865, when he was taken prisoner near Dinwiddie Court House (Gregory, 102).

In referring to "substitutes," John Booker expresses his anger at the inequities of the First Conscription Act, which permitted a conscripted (drafted) man to hire a substitute to serve his term. As is evident in John's letter, this provision produced much tension between the poor and the wealthy. Often substitutes would desert a day after appearing in camp, then agree to substitute for someone else. The First Conscription Act also allowed each soldier who enlisted for three years to take a sixty day furlough each year (Current, vol. 1, 396-99).

Memory Inman, who enlisted with the Bookers in Whitmell in 1861, received a medical discharge on November 11, 1861. He was conscripted at Danville on August 28, 1862 and was reassigned to the 38th Regiment, Company D. Like the Bookers, he was wounded in action at Drewry's Bluff on May 16, 1864. He returned to duty on October 11, 1864 (Gregory 104). See also James Booker's letter of September 30, 1862.