Scattered family and personal letters of members of the Greene, Woods, and Porter families, who were related to Matilda Greene, later Matilda Armstrong. The earliest letter is to Matilda's aunt, Penelope Porter, from Matilda's grandfather, Alex Porter, about the health and welfare of Matilda, who was apparently staying with her grandfather. Two of the letters, dated 1841 and 1848, were to Matilda from Penelope, giving family news. Also included is a letter, 22 September 1846, to Penelope from Alexander P. Greene, at a U.S. Army camp near Comargo in Mexico, where he was serving in the 2nd Tennessee Regiment during the Mexican War. He described in some detail a "fandango" he attended and discussed the situation of his unit.

Also included is one letter to Nancy Armstrong Percy from her husband, a social invitation, and a funeral notice.

Chiefly letters from James Trooper Armstrong to his wife, Matilda Armstrong, while he was at his plantation, Woodstock, near Pine Bluff in Jefferson County, Arkansas. He also wrote from Memphis and Jackson, Tennessee, and Paducah, Kentucky. He offered news of himself and friends and relatives, details of his daily activities. He also wrote about how much he missed his wife and inquired about his family. Most of the letters were addressed to Matilda in Nashville, Tennessee, care of James Woods, probably the husband of Matilda's Aunt Penelope.

In 1852, there are also letters to Matilda from James and Penelope Woods while she was at War Trace in Bedford County, Tennessee. Also included is a letter from Matilda's sister-in-law Nancy Armstrong Percy at Chalmette, 27 September, and a letter, 28 December, from F. W. Trapnall of Little Rock, congratulating the Armstrongs on the recent birth of a son.

There are a few scattered letters during these years. They include a letter, 27 April 1853, from Jacob Lindley in Hernando, Mississippi, to his grandchildren William and Molly Anderson. Also included is a letter, 13 December 1853, to Matilda from her uncle, James Woods, and a letter, 19 January 1854, from Jacob Lindley in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, to his daughter Sarah Anderson. The connection between Lindley and the Armstrongs is not clear. Matilda Armstrong received a letter, 4 December 1854, from her brother, Alexander P. Greene, on board the ship Prometheus, on his way from New Orleans to San Francisco by way of Nicaragua, and a letter from Alex in San Francisco, 19 February 1857.

Chiefly letters from James Trooper Armstrong to his wife Matilda, and a few from Matilda to him, while he was serving in the 9th Arkansas RegimentConfederate Army during the Civil War.

Armstrong's letters give information about his situation, recent military movements and activities, news of friends, speculation about coming events, hopes for peace, comments on news from Matilda, and arrangements to supply her with money. Also included are a few letters to Matilda from her relatives.

In 1861 and 1862, Armstrong wrote to Matilda from Camp Lee, near Pine Bluff, from Memphis, and from Union City. In 1861, Matilda wrote a number of letters to Armstrong from "Home" (probably Woodstock). In April 1862, Armstrong wrote from Corinth, Mississippi, and described the recent fighting in which he participated (either Shiloh Church or Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee). Also in 1862, Matilda received letters from her cousin S. R. Woods in Nashville, and her cousin Lizzie Kirkman of Tuscaloosa.

In 1863, there is a letter to Matilda from Armstrong, doing adjutant and inspector general duty "about 8 miles from Gen. (John S.) Marmaduke's Headquarters." He expected to move towards the Arkansas River.

In 1864, Matilda was in Washington, Arkansas, staying with Mrs. Eakins, wife of Col. John R. Eakins. Armstrong was in and around Camden, Arkansas, working with ordnance and ammunition wagons on the staff of Major General James Fleming Fagan through April, May, and part of June, and he wrote to Matilda from various locations. His letters from June through August were written at Monticello, Arkansas, the headquarters of the Mid Sub District Arkansas (ordnance), and from Princeton, Arkansas.

In July 1864, Armstrong received a letter from his brother Frank, who was near Atlanta. During September Armstrong wrote Matilda that the whole command was on the move because the Missouri and Arkansas troops were being joined under one command, and his letters were written from various places including Yell County, Batesville, Dardanelle, and Frederickstown, Missouri (headquarters of Fagan's Division). He described his long, grueling march, and his doubts about the effectiveness of the generals and their plan. On 13 November 1864, Armstrong wrote from Perryville in the Choctaw Nation, and on 5 January 1865, he wrote from Cavalry Headquarters, District Arkansas, at Camp Smith Plantation near Fulton, Missouri.

Included are a few typed transcriptions of letters from James Trooper Armstrong to Matilda.

Chiefly letters to Matilda Armstrong, who was at Columbus, Mississippi, until her husband's death in 1873. After his death, she went to Abilene, Texas, where her son Robert and her daughter Nellie lived. The letters here were written by members of her immediate family, other relatives, and old friends. Most of the letters from the 1870s are from cousins in Jackson, and Nashville, Tennessee. Also included are two letters from Greene relatives in Chillicothe, Missouri, dated June 1873 and May 1875, concerning family property and family history. Cousin James Woods, Jr., of Nashville wrote on 29 November 1875 about family portraits and gave news of Nashville relatives. The letters of 1886 and 1887 are chiefly from her son James Trooper, Jr., at Columbus, Mississippi, and her son Woods Armstrong at the Agricultural College in Mississippi. James wrote about his marriage to Sarah Ervin in October 1887.

In January 1888, there is a letter from Nancy Percy of Greenville, Mississippi, enclosing an obituary for her husband Col. William Alexander Percy. Also in 1888, there are several letters from James Trooper, Jr., of Columbus, Mississippi, describing his becoming a clerk of the circuit court and the birth of his son Frank Ervin Armstrong. There is one letter in 1889 from an old friend, J. A. Harris, of Bloomington, Illinois. The letters in 1890 and 1891 are chiefly about an old property title, and include some Greene and Coffey family data.

Chiefly family letters and a few poems and recipes. Most of the letters are from Nancy Percy at "Home" to Matilda Armstrong in Abilene, Texas.