Letters are mostly written by Cathcart's relatives in Illinois. Subjects include: farming; prices; social events; courtship; teaching; and law suits involving property rights. There are several references to African-Americans in the North and the South, including mention of bribing an African-American to give false testimony during a land dispute, and the stabbing of an African-American by a white man. Three letters from Due West College, S.C. mention general academic life, separation of the sexes, curriculum, and topics of literary society debates.
