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The Samuel F. Atwill papers consist of two letters (dated 1862) written by Cadet Atwill to his parents that relate anecdotes about life at VMI. The papers also include one letter (dated July 1864) from Superintendent Francis H. Smith that notifies the Atwill family of Cadet Atwill's death, and a fragment of Atwill's cadet account book.

The bulk of the Andrew C. L. Gatewood papers consist of 28 letters (dated 1860-1864) written by Gatewood to his parents and other family members. Early letters describe life at VMI and in Lexington, Virginia, just prior to and during early months of the Civil War. Subsequent letters date from Gatewood's service with the 11th Virginia Cavalry Regiment, Company F (Bath Squadron), including a letter (dated September 1862) written after the Second Battle of Manassas (2nd Bull Run).

This collection consists of one account book of an unidentified member of the Chew Family from the Shenandoah Valley region in Virginia. Entries (1834-1883) include itemized accounts of customers for a variety of goods and services, a list of expenses, notes about crops and cattle, clippings, and a recipe.

This collection consists of the one volume diary of Confederate soldier William J. Black. The diary entries date from October 1864 to January 1865, and were written while Black was serving in Captain John J. Shoemaker's Company, Virginia Horse Artillery. Included are brief accounts of various skirmishes, the Battle of Cedar Creek (Virginia), and campsites and positions that are recorded daily.

This collection consists of the Civil War papers of Nathaniel C. Wilson (VMI Class of 1861) and papers of other Wilson family members, including:

• Wilson's diary-account book fragment that includes entries from Pennsylvania and the battlefield at Gettysburg.
• Two letters (dated 1859-1860)written while Wilson was a student at the University of Virginia.
• One letter (dated March 14-25, 1863) from Wilson written during the Civil War from Camp near Greenville, Virginia.
• Wilson family correspondence, legal/financial papers, and ephemera.

The John T. L. Preston papers consist of the personal papers of Preston, including:

• A farm account book (1834-1887)
• Bills
• Deeds
• Memoranda
• Receipts
• Correspondence
• A photocopy and transcription of Preston's Civil War journal ("Jottings"), which dates from his military service at Craney Island, Virginia from late July to October 1861. The original journal is held by the Library of Congress.
• Preston's United States passport (May 1851)
• Franklin Society membership certificate (1851)
• A typescript "brief historical sketch" of VMI written as a speech for the Institute's semi-centennial celebration in 1889 (the typescript contains handwritten corrections in ink; Preston's son delivered the address on behalf of his father).

This collection consists of the ledger and account book for the Price Family. This book originated with Jacob Price and was also used by his son, Berryman. The volume contains three distinct sections, including:

• Business accounts kept by Jacob (1845-1858)
• A roster of Berryman Z. Price's Artillery Company (circa 1864)
• Post Civil War accounts maintained by Jacob and/or Berryman

The Thomas B. Davis papers contain two items. The first is a letter (dated March 22, 1863) from Davis to his sister, Camillus Christian. This letter was written while Davis was a cadet at VMI. In this letter he mentions activities at VMI, Civil War news ("a considerable cavalry fight on the Rappahannock"), the unusual late snows, and provides an early use of the term "rat" as a reference to new cadets ("The legislature is still cutting up about our maltreating the new cadets, or as we call them, Rats....says that we are a set of precocious youths who came here to avoid conscription"). The second item is a VMI cadet account book containing school expenses.