Thomas Nelson Conrad (1837-1905) served in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War and as President of Virginia Tech. The collection consists of the original manuscript of The Rebel Scout: A Thrilling History of Scouting Life in the Southern Army, written by Conrad from 1891 to 1893, and published in 1904.

The collection contains a Civil War-era cash book of Captain Charles L. C. Minor, Confederate Army ordnance officer and first president of Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College (1872-1879). Also contains diary entries of Union Army Private Edward P. Harmon, 5th Maine Infantry, for May-June 1864. Accompanied by research materials on the two soldiers (including maps, muster rolls, and pension notes) and a complete photocopy of the cash book/diary.