This collection consists of a series of letters written between Colonel George McClellan Derby and his mother, Mary (Coons) Derby. At the time, Mary Derby was living in Chattanooga, Tennessee and George Derby was serving with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers in such places as New Orleans, Louisiana; Smithville, Kentucky; and Louisville, Kentucky. Some letters are written on stationary from the Lookout Inn (a lodge on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga) and from the Cranberry Inn in Cranberry, North Carolina. Most of the letters discuss such topics as the Derby family, their friends and acquaintances, George Derby's life and activities, events in Chattanooga, and Mary Derby's health.