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, four-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she advises him on the sale and purchase of mules and enslaved people from Beneventum plantation. She also fears that Charleston will soon fall and describes the scarcity and rising cost of food and other necessities in Greenville amid the Civil War. In addition, she mentions the work done by two enslaved women, Zilpah and Venus, at their farm in Greenville.
A handwritten, two-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles Alston, in which she worries about the state of Charleston and her family members amid the Civil War.
A handwritten, three-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she discusses the management of enslaved people at Beneventum plantation. She also briefly mentions reports of the military efforts of their sons, John Julius and Joseph, in the Civil War.
An estate inventory of Robert Pringle's plantations from October 19th, 1863, listing 128 names of enslaved people worth a total of $155,850. These names were divided into lots which were drawn by Charles Alston, William Bull Pringle, John Julius Pringle, and Elizabeth Pringle Smith.
A handwritten, four-page letter from Joseph Alston to his mother, Emma Alston, in which he recounts his battle experience in detail, describing the use of cannons and his encounters with Black Union soldiers. During the letter, he switches from ink to pencil.
