This collection contains correspondence, military documents, and other personal records of James R. Crew. Correspondence includes letters Crew wrote to his wife about life in Atlanta during and after the Civil War. Crew did not date the letters but he describes contemporary war events such as battles in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Jacksonville, Florida, and New Orleans, Louisiana. He talks about the hanging of "bridge burners," referring to a group of Union spies known as Andrews Raiders. Crew also wrote a detailed letter describing the devastation of Atlanta by Union troops. He refers to "negro" troops who were used to garrison the city. In addition, he describes outbreaks of small pox, attending church, his work with the railroad, and buying food and clothes for his wife. Crew also wrote to his wife from Macon and other sites of railroad terminals in Georgia. Military records include travel passes and draft exemptions for private citizens. Other documents in the collection are his passport, a biographical sketch on his life, and remarks by Reverend Malard at Crew's funeral.