The collection represents documents relating to both times George Wilber enlisted in the United States Army, first in 1898 and later in 1899 after having been mustered out of service. Wilber initially enlisted in 1898, possibly as a minor. A letter details that either a parent or legal guardian would have been required to endorse his decision to enlist, should he have been a minor at the time. Wilber enlisted into the 35th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The regiment was transferred to Georgia, but never saw combat. The Spanish-American War ended a mere three weeks after it had completed its training.

Wilber was mustered out shorty after but chose to reenlist the following year, which saw him placed in the 42nd Infantry Regiment. That unit was transferred to the Philippines via San Francisco and Honolulu. A newspaper clipping details a letter written to his mother where he described the flowers on Oahu and the queen’s palace. Wilber was later promoted to the rank of First Sergeant.

Included also in the collection are several military manuals from throughout the 1890s. It is probable that Wilber consulted them over the course of his service.

The records contained in this collection span over two centuries. Their media compose correspondence (with envelopes in some instances), military manuals, a marriage certificate between Louisa Smith and Chauncey S. Payne, a document detailing the estate of Jacob Smith, banking records, a reunion roster for the 16th Michigan Infantry, and newspaper clippings. The majority of the records focus on the early military career and Civil War service of Thomas B.W. Stockton. The records are limited to correspondence and orders received for various assignments after he graduated from West Point in 1827. He initially saw service in the Western Department of the US Army, which oversaw territory between the Mississippi River to California. He later transferred to Washington, D.C. to serve as an assistant quartermaster.

Later service saw him transferred to Detroit to participate in what correspondence describes as construction of the Sagana Road. Stockton resigned in 1837 to assume a civilian post with the Army as an engineer. He left in 1840 and returned in 1844. He sought a commission in the army to raise regiments for the coming Mexican-American War. From there a gap exists until orders were received for him to remove the 16th Michigan to Washington, D.C. in late 1861. Correspondence details his time as a prisoner of war before being paroled and a request to assistance Andrew Johnson in raising three regiments to participate in operations in Tennessee.

Personal aspects of his life remain absent from the records. Other records focus on Jacob Smith, which include correspondence between him and family members. Related to these are correspondence from his children. Later records represent children and other descendants of Stockton and their efforts to carry on his legacy. These are documented in correspondence and newspaper clippings.

The collection reflects contributions of Corydon Foote during the Civil War and activities of Grand Army of the Republic Post No. 145, sometimes better known as Governor Crapo Post No. 145. Correspondence reveals some activities undertaken by Foote during the war, including marching through Confederate territory past plantations and cotton fields. Foote made no mention of slaves. It is possible he marched through territory liberated by the Union or chose not to mention having seen slaves for reasons unknown. He may have assisted in the looting of civilian homes and farms, though the details in a letter are too spare to know for sure. He wrote a lengthy letter to family about witnessing the execution of a three-time deserter from the Union Army. The letter suggests witnessing death left a deep impression on him. He wrote descriptively of how the deserter’s body acted once shot and of how uncomfortable he felt looking at the ground under which the deserter had been buried. Other records of Foote’s service including papers for a furlough, discharge from the Army, and pension receipts.

Records of Post No. 145 document meetings and finances of the post from the late 1870s to 1936 when the post disbanded for lack of members. Minutes document meetings of the post. Members were frequently referred to as comrades. Reports were read concerning correspondence with individuals and organizations, including other posts, death notices of deceased members, and lectures on various topics, including the war. Records of rosters from the 1870s and 1890s are present. Cash books show how the post received funds, largely in the form of dues, and spent them. Spending them included paying bills or dispensing financial support to members or families of deceased members.

Unconnected to the war is a brief untitled and unauthored history of interurban rail in Flint. The history focuses on the rise and decline of interurban rail. The role of labor factors in it, how much workers were paid and times they went on strike. Financial struggles of many rail lines are detailed as well.