Most of these papers are letters from Henry C. Hart to his parents, John and Mary Nixon, who also received two letters from their nephew, John C. Hart. The letters relate to camp life in a number of Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. locations: Soldiers Rest, Alexandria; Camp or Fort Reynolds, D.C.; Fort Sumner, D.C.; Rectortown, Fauquier County; Vienna, Virginia; Flint Hill, Rappahannock County; and Fairfax Station. Henry writes about breaking colts for the army, his health, wounded comrades, and his needs for food, clothes, boots, writing paper and stamps. He describes his delight at seeing Washington for the first time.

There are also letters to the Nixons from Thompson Todd, and a bill for a list of merchandise to John Nixon from A.Y. Montgomery.