The Preston Family Correspondence consists of two letters.

The first letter is dated on July 28, 1861 and is written by James Francis Preston to his wife, Sarah Caperton Preston following the First Battle of Bull Run during the American Civil War. He writes about the battle’s events and his own movements, including executing a direct order from General Jackson to charge the advancing enemy. In the beginning of his letter, James calls the battle a “fearful sight.”

The second letter dates to May 15, 1872 and is written by Sarah Caperton Preston to Colonel Grabowski, an instructor at Preston and Olin Institute (now Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg. The letter is a response to a previous notice from the Colonel about her son’s (Hugh Caperton Preston) recent failure to follow a senior student’s order at Preston and Olin. Sarah passively defends her son, explaining why he might have disobeyed the order. She also expresses confusion at some of the Colonel’s reasoning for her son’s behavior. Additionally, Sarah expresses hope that her son will gain maturity with age and learn that, “an officers commision will not always shield him.”