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The Browne brothers, Richard and Francis, had long careers as officers in the British Army during the mid-eighteenth century. From 1757, when Francis arrived in North America the brothers wrote home regularly to their father in Ireland, reporting on their experiences and on their progress as soldiers during the French and Indian and Seven Years Wars.

The Browne papers consist of 6 letters written by Francis Browne (1757-1763), 16 written by Richard (1757-1765), and one written by their father, Jeremiah, to Richard (1760 February 1). Francis' letters provide excellent descriptions of his service in Nova Scotia, including descriptions of Halifax and Fort Cumberland, and of the Wolfe expedition against Gaspee, and a fine description of the capture of Havana. Following his bout with yellow fever and his promotion to Captain Lieutenant, Francis frequently expresses his gratitude and indebtedness to General Howe for his kindness.

The descriptive power of Richard Browne's letters surpasses that of his brother. Browne not only provides powerful accounts of battles (e.g., Minden) and military life, but he provides several excellent descriptions of sights he has seen, including York Minster, the town of Emden, a Lutheran crypt in Bremen in which bodies are mummified, and, most interestingly, Patrick's Purgatory, a site in Lough Derg, Ireland, where pilgrims come to be "purged of all their sins."