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Between December 17, 1837, and January 1, 1838, Lucy Williams Hawes and her aunt, Mary D. Taber, wrote 4 letters (11 pages) from Buffalo, New York, about the Canadian rebellions of 1837-1838. Lucy Williams Hawes wrote 2 letters to her father, Richard Williams, who was the postmaster of New Bedford, Massachusetts, and one letter to her brother-in-law, Lawrence Grinnell. Mary D. Taber wrote one letter to her sister, Rebeckah Smith Williams.

Between December 17, 1837, and January 1, 1838, Lucy Williams Hawes and her aunt, Mary D. Taber, wrote 4 letters (11 pages) from Buffalo, New York, about the Canadian rebellions of 1837-1838. Lucy Williams Hawes wrote 2 letters to her father, Richard Williams of New Bedford, Massachusetts (December 29, 1837, and January 1, 1838) and 1 letter to her brother-in-law, Lawrence Grinnell (December 30, 1837). Mary D. Taber and her daughter, also named Mary, wrote one letter to her sister, Rebeckah Smith Williams (December 17, 1837).

The letters pertain to news and rumors about the Canadian rebellions, particularly in the area around Buffalo. Mary Taber related a story about William Lyon Mackenzie, who had come to her home in search of a boat; Taber vowed to assist the rebels' supporters, despite her Quaker beliefs. Taber and Hawes commented on public opinion and on the war's impact on Buffalo citizens. Hawes noted the war preparations of residents, including her husband Samuel, and mentioned the constant flow of people and news around the city. She heard cannon fire from the Niagara River, and reported on the fighting around Navy Island. In her final 2 letters, Hawes wrote an account of the deaths of two civilians who were sleeping onboard the Caroline when it was burned by Canadian royalists. She also reported that a group of men had been washed over Niagara Falls and shared her suspicion that three African Americans had been sent over the falls after being suspected of acts of espionage against American volunteers.