This collection contains letters to and from Grant regarding construction of railroads in Pennsylvania and throughout the southeastern United States; the defense of Atlanta during the Civil War; and personal matters. Other items in the collection include Grant’s personal diaries from 1843, 1844, and 1845, as well as account books covering railroad land transactions; railroad costs; and cash accounts. Additional items include a report on the condition of railroads around Atlanta, Georgia, (undated) and blank slave pass forms from the 1860s. The account book listing "Negroes Hired and Impressed for the Defense of Augusta" includes for many entries the date, name of enslaved person, owner, post office, county, rate of hire, valuation, date of discharge and remarks, physical description, age, and value of clothing.

Personal letters from Grant’s brother James provide insight into Grant’s family; his schooling in preparation to become an engineer; James’ efforts to get his brother a position as an engineer; Lemuel and James’ health; and James personal opinions and aspirations regarding ladies, marriage, and life in general. James’ letters provide details of the personal life and viewpoints of an American man in the antebellum period. James also describes railway accidents during 1846.

Grant’s diaries document where he was living, health issues, work, reading habits, personal life and weather. Business correspondence from Grant’s boss, J. Edgar Thomson, and others provide details (including some sketches) on costs and supplies for construction of the railroad, including land purchases and court cases involving railroad right-of-ways. Details include information on lumber and millwork, as well as comments about prospects for Atlanta, cotton prices, and the use of enslaved African American labor. Mr. Thomson discusses his investments in the Montgomery and West Point Railroad and the Atlanta Hotel which was built in 1844.