This collection consists of biographical and autobiographical letters, written circa 1858 – 1868, concerning 52 Tennessee legislators who lived between 1757 and 1918. The letters were sent to Charles Lanman at his request from the legislators or their surviving relatives for use in Lanman's Dictionary of the United States Congress. Each letter contains biographical information on the statesmen’s lives and careers including specific information on personal achievements, education, and their respective trades. The collection also contains eight, early Talbotype photographs – one of the earliest forms of photography introduced by William Talbot in 1841 – of the following senators:

Atkins, John DeWitt Clinton (1825-1898); Avery, William Tecumsah (1819-1880); Bell, John (1797-1869) Etheridge, Emerson (1819-1902); Jones, George Washington (1806-1884); Ready, Charles (1802-1878); Savage, John Houston (1815-1904); Zollicoffer, Felix Kirk (1812-1862)

This collection consists of 52 folders containing a number of biographical and autobiographical letters written circa 1858 – 1868, concerning 52 Tennessee legislators who lived between 1757 - 1918. The letters were sent to Charles Lanman at his request from the 52 legislators or their surviving relatives for use in Lanman's Dictionary of the United States Congress. Each letter contains biographical information on the statesmen’s lives and careers including specific information on personal achievements, education, and their respective trades. The collection also contains eight, early Talbotype photographs – one of the earliest forms of photography introduced by William Talbot in 1841 – of the following senators: