This collection contains the August 17, 1837, letter of James H. Otey in Columbia, Tennessee, to his sister, Mrs. Frances A. Buford in Bedford County, Virginia. Otey recounts his ordeals with a near-fatal disease, which left him impressed with the frailty of life and with considerations of the goodness of God. He also enthusiastically advises his sister about her religious condition, stating "For a person in your situation, seldom having an opportunity of hearing the word of God preached that the only safety is to perform [your children's] daily religious duties with the same system and regularity as they do any other work."

See also, MS.2279: the Episcopal Bishops Collection, 1858-1956.