A handwritten, three-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she implores him to supply the enslaved people on their plantation with meat, milk, tobacco, and textiles to discourage them from escaping. She also updates him on their acquisition of a farm and Greenville and the general economic state of the town.
A handwritten, one-page letter from Robert Pringle of Great Britain to his Charleston relatives in which he explores their genealogical connection. He encloses a family tree, a list of marital dates, and a newspaper clipping to explain the family history.
A handwritten, eight-page letter from Susan Pringle Alston to her aunt, Rebecca Hayne, in which she describes Union troops and newly freed people raiding and robbing houses while her family was in Plantersville at the end of Civil War. She expresses concern for similar things occurring in Columbia and Darlington, South Carolina.
A handwritten, three-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles Alston, in which she describes the Union attack on Morris Island on July 10, 1863, and details her plans to leave Charleston the next day, including arranging a delivery of osnaburg fabric. She also states that Vicksburg has fallen.
A handwritten, one-page letter from H. A. Desaussure to Charles Alston in which he finalizes the sale of 11 East Battery and encloses an abstract of the title of the lot, which lists each owner since it was first granted to Margaret Hobson in 1694 until purchased by Charles Alston in 1838.
A handwritten, two-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she arranges the arrival of six enslaved people in Greenville. She also advises him on the management of their house in Charleston and warns him to not allow enslaved people to travel without the accompaniment of a white person so as to prevent their impressment.
A handwritten, four-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she writes of her efforts to find an affordable house in Greenville. She also discusses the Civil War and rumors of enslaved people escaping plantations. Attached to this letter is a note that further specifies houses available to purchase.
A handwritten, three-page letter from Lewis R. Gibbes to Alexander Glennie, in which he discusses botany, requests a trade, and inquires about Glennie's regularity in recording readings from the barometer and thermometer.
