The collection includes a paper on the history of Smithfield Plantation, the Preston family, and Virginia Newlee (Col. Robert Newlee's daughter) written by George Shackelford in 1980. In addition, there is an obituary of Colonel Newlee, and a newspaper clipping from 1916 with the muster roll of the Company of Virginia Volunteers in the Mexican War. Also the collection includes a muster roll of Company L, Fourth Virginia Regiment, of which Newlee was captain.

This collection contains correspondence, research files, project files, and manuscripts of George Green Shackelford, professor of history at Virginia Tech from 1954-1986.