This collection consists primarily of the 110-page diary that John M. Kelly kept while serving with the 141st New York Infantry Regiment. In it, he speaks of the weather conditions, his activities, and troop movements, including his unit's march south to join General Ulysses S. Grant's forces in Chattanooga and their later participation in Major General William T. Sherman's campaigns in the Carolinas. Also included are two pension certificates. The first dates from 1911 and awards John M. Kelly a pension of $20 per month. The second is from 1912 and increases the monthly amount to $30. Two slips are attached to the 1912 pension certificate, increasing the pension to $40 and $50 per month in 1918 and 1920 respectively. Finally, the collection houses a list of soldiers hospitalized in 1863 (including dates of admission and release) and a list of fellow soldiers and their hometowns.