This collection consists of five letters written by Charles Steele, a soldier in Company D of the 53rd Regiment of Indiana Volunteers, between April 1, 1862 and August 10, 1863 in Savannah (Tennessee), Memphis (Tennessee), and Vicksburg (Mississippi) to his mother and sister. In them, Steele describes camp life, relates war news, and inquires about his family and home. In the letter dated August 8, 1863, Steele writes of the defeat of Lee and the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson, the retreat of Bragg and Johnson and the repulse of Price.

The collection also contains a letter to Steele's sister from her niece, Maggie, written on May 5, 1862 expressing concern for Charles Steele and a color photocopy of Steele's Compiled Military Service Record (CMSR).