The collection consists mainly of a series of letters James and Joseph wrote to their relatives while in military service during the Civil War.

James's army letters, which are mostly written from occupied New Orleans and then from Baton Rouge and its environs, April-August, 1862, provide details about daily military life, the horrors of the battlefield, and northern attitudes toward the South and its citizens. Also, there are several letters James wrote while living and working Chicago before he joined the army which give descriptions of life in the big city.

Joseph's letters from the Lancaster contain descriptions of life aboard ship in Panama (which he disliked) and of a pleasant visit to Hawaii in 1861. There is a group of letters concerning Joseph's death in August of 1861 regarding his popularity on the Lancaster and the problem of the return of his body to his family for burial.

Also, two letters from Theodore Harris to his wife Mary, 1824 and 1832, and two other family letters, from Margaret and her nephew.