The majority of this collection consists of correspondence between John and Julia Davidson before and during the Civil War. The letters capture a sense of their courtship prior to their wedding in 1855, as well as the physical and spiritual challenges John faced as a soldier in the Confederate Army and those Julia endured in the besieged city of Atlanta. The collection contains several letters written by John Davidson to Julia’s parents who lived in Atlanta and were the proprietors of Washington Hall, a hotel in the city.

Also included are two documents originating from Davidson’s regiment, the 39th of North Carolina, a furlough request for a soldier, and a requisition for forage form. The collection also includes a typed abstract of an 1895 letter John Davidson wrote to his cousin, Theodore Davidson regarding his experience in the Confederate Army during the Atlanta Campaign.In his letters to Julia, John Davidson writes about his love for her and his consistent desire to return home to his family. He inquires about the health and well-being of their children and Julia’s parents, and talks about the discomforts of army life and the violence of war. He expresses his hopes for an end to the war and offers updates on the movements of his regiment, and their training routines in camp. He also passes on information to her regarding enemy troop movements. He writes her from locations in Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. Julia’s letters to John supply updates on the health and business of family and friends in Atlanta, and contain expressions of her desire to see him return home. During the siege of Atlanta, she provides some detail on the chaos resulting from the shelling of the city. Throughout her letters, she urges her husband to adhere to the principles of his Christian faith.