This collection falls chronologically between 1845 and 1868, though most of the letters were written in 1862 and 1863, the middle years of the American Civil War. Geographically, the letters originated primarily in ships and naval yards along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States, including Port Royal, New Orleans, Hampton Roads, and New York, though an 1868 letter from the Flag Ship Nagasaki appears to have been sent by Commodore Rowan from Asian waters. Topically, the letters consist largely of orders and other matters of Union naval business. Specifically, mention is made of sickness aboard Goldsborough's ship, blockade duty and the movements of troops, and requests for additional men and supplies. Several interesting letters refer to "Contrabands," which usually referred to newly freed African Americans, after General Benjamin Butler labeled them "contraband of war" in 1861.

Series I: Goldsborough
The first series contains letters addressed to John R. Goldsborough, which make up more than two thirds of the collection (34 of the 47). The Goldsborough series begins with a letter from Captain J. S. Lardner on March 25, 1862, concerning a threat to Edisto Island, which was "'at this time menaced by the Enemy' and requesting a gunboat". This letter is followed by 29 letters in 1862 and 1863, three letters in 1865, and two letters from Admiral Rowan in 1868. The most frequent writers of the letters in this series are Rear Admiral S. P. Lee and Commodore H. H. Bell, but the series also includes letters from Commander S. Godon, Admiral S. F. DuPont, Commander H. Paulding, Rear Admiral A. H. Foote, and others. Primary topics of the correspondence in this series include orders and movements of blockade ships, requisitions, and concerns about a contagious fever (one letter calls it measles) on board Goldsborough's ship, the Colorado, for which it was quarantined. It should be noted that at least two letters contain references to a "copy enclosed" (Radford to Goldsborough, Jan 1863) or an "accompanying letter" (Morris to Senior Officer Off Mobile) that were not in the collection when it was received.

Series II: Other Correspondence
The second series is made up of letters addressed to people other than Goldsborough (13 of the 47 letters). This series contains a larger share of non-naval correspondence, and begins with a letter from Isaac Lea to William Blanchard, partners in a Philadelphia publishing firm, dated June 7, 1845. Following this is a 10-page letter, dated Aug 1860, from J. W. Ward to H. C. Baird, regarding the political climate in America during the run-up to the 1860 election. Notable names of correspondents in this series include Rear Admiral David Farragut, Commodore R. B. Hitchcock, and Henry C. Carey, an economist who was the addressee of several of the letters. It should be noted that the February 2, 1864 letter to Carey is unsigned and appears incomplete. This series ends with a file of three undated and either unsigned, unaddressed, or illegible notes.