A handwritten, two-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she advises him on the management of enslaved people (Alfred, Forester, Philemon, Mitchell, and Andrew) in the face of them possibly escaping to the Union. She also reports on the family's situation and health at the new farm in Greenville.
A handwritten, two-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she shares her fear for the future of South Carolina, specifically Charleston and Georgetown, amid the Civil War. She also mentions the impact of the war on enslaved people and the Middleton family.
A handwritten, four-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she reports on life at the new farm in Greenville, shares her concern for the Union troops' advancement in Georgetown, and advises him on the management of enslaved people.
A handwritten, three-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she discusses the high prices for food and supplies in Greenville and briefly worries about the outlook of the Civil War.
A handwritten, three-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she requests a list of food and supplies to be brought from their plantation in Georgetown to the new farm in Greenville.
A handwritten, two-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she describes life at their new farm in Greenville. She recounts the food and supplies that they have bought and requests that Charles brings various objects from their plantations.
A handwritten, two-page letter from Emma Alston to her sister, Elizabeth Smith, in which she describes the situation at the Alstons' new farm in Greenville.
A handwritten, two-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she informs him of her success in purchasing a mule and peas for their farm in Greenville. She also laments the prospected future of South Carolina during the Civil War.
A handwritten, four-page letter from Susan Alston to her father, Charles Alston, in which she describes their work setting up the farm in Greenville and complains about the soaring cost of living in the town. She also relays the story of the Seven Days Battles in Virginia, blaming General Huger for the Union's escape.
A handwritten, four-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she encourages him to provide the enslaved people with milk, meat, tobacco, molasses, and sugar to dissuade them from escaping. She also discusses the general state of their newly acquired farm in Greenville and requests him to send enslaved people to fix it up. On the back of the envelope, a list of names and "by Hands by Charleston South Carolina" is written.