The Robinson brothers, John (b. ca. 1827) and James (b. ca. 1832), lived in the Sherrills Ford neighborhood of Catawba County, North Carolina. At the time of the 1860 census, James was living on his Catawba County farm with his wife, Sarah W. Robinson (b. ca. 1842), and their two young daughters, Jane and Laura. His brother, John H. Robinson, enlisted as a private in Co. K, 5th North Carolina Cavalry (63rd Regiment State Troops) on August 18, 1862 and died of disease at Richmond on February 22, 1864. Most of the letters in the collection were written to James Robinson and include several written by his in-laws and neighbors who served with his brother in Co. K, 5th NC Cavalry. Two letters were written by James Robinson’s brother-in-law, James M. Sherrill (also spelled Sherrell), who served as a private in Co. D, 18th NC Inf. (formerly 8th NC Vols.).