Major Commanding General Kenton Harper, the first letter's recipient, was born in 1801, and died on December 25, 1861. He was in command of the 5th Virginia Infantry during the American Civil War, and he participated in the first Battle of Bull Run and the takeover of Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Prior to the Civil War, he fought in the Mexican-American War. In his lifetime, Harper was also a printer of the Staunton Spectator, a Virginia State Legislator, Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, and Major of Staunton, Virginia.

The unexpected movements of Union troops in Annapolis, MD, mentioned by Major General G.H. Steuart refer to those of New York's 7th Infantry Regiment, Massachusetts's Volunteer Militia, and Massachusetts's 8th Infantry Regiment. These units descended into Maryland to stop the state's succession from the Union. They had a hard time traveling because Confederate supporters had damaged many of the railroads. Thus, on April 22nd, 1861, these troops arrived in Annapolis to size the railroad so that they could travel to Washington D.C.

External sources:

Allardice, Bruce S. More Generals in Gray. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 2006. Print.

Oneill, Bill. "The Union Responds-April-June 1861." Hubpages. Hubpages Inc. Web. 17 Mar. 2010. Archived at https://web.archive.org/web/20100805215005/hubpages.com/hub/The-Union-Responds-April-June-1861.