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This volume largely consists of William N. Ames's logbook entries for the 369-ton whaleship Martha, Master Joseph Wheldon, January 14-March 25, 1838 (14 pages and fragments of pages). The Martha departed Hudson, New York, heading for the Indian Ocean with stops at Gough Island and Madagascar. The remainder of the volume is pages or fragments of pages for the ship Alexander Mansfield, 1832, including the poem "The Yankey Privatear" (4 pages); one letter fragment; and pages of additional accounting and poetry (9 pages).

This volume consists largely of William N. Ames's logbook entries for the 369-ton whaleship Martha, Master Joseph Wheldon, January 14-March 25, 1838 (14 pages and fragments of pages). The Martha departed Hudson, New York, heading for the Indian Ocean with stops at Gough Island and Madagascar. The remainder of the volume is pages or fragments of pages for the ship Alexander Mansfield, 1832, including the poem "The Yankey Privatear" (4 pages); one letter fragment; and pages of additional accounting and poetry (9 pages).

William Ames kept daily entries for the first three months of the Martha's voyage, documenting wind speed and direction, latitude and longitude, shipboard activities, and sightings of marine life. Multiple entries contain sightings of blackfish (pilot whales), finback whales, white whales, and birds. On single occasions, he mentioned seeing a dead whale, whales feeding, and porpoises. On March 6, 1838, he noted: "hard winds hard luck and No Whales is to hard Never mind we live in hopes of beter luck and more whales for the future."

The front pastedown bears six whale stamps, haphazardly applied (three tails and three bodies).

The Jeffery Amherst papers (763 items) consist of the correspondence, documents, and military orders of Jeffery Amherst, British commander-in-chief in North America from 1758-1763. Included are Amherst's letters to General Thomas Gage and the papers given to Gage with the transfer of authority in 1763.

The Jeffery Amherst papers (763 items) contain the correspondence, documents, and military orders of Jeffery Amherst, British commander-in-chief in North America from 1758 to 1763. The collection constitutes the papers given to General Thomas Gage at the transfer of authority in 1763. Also included are letters and petitions addressed to Amherst, Amherst's letters to Gage, and letters addressed to Amherst that arrived in New York City after his departure for England.

The Letters and Documents series (241 items) contains letters between Amherst and Thomas Gage, as well as material left for Gage, and letters that arrived at the New York headquarters for Amherst after his departure to England. Items include administrative letters concerning military matters and news, troop instructions and orders, details on troop movements and the outcomes of battles, court martial reports, intelligence reports on enemy forces, promotions, petitions, memorials, troop returns, and accounts for provisions and other military expenses. These document the French and Indian War, British control over Canada and the western territories after the war, management of Indian Affairs, and dealings with Pontiac. Also discussed are activities and construction at forts Crown Point, Edward, George, Herkirmer, Louisbourg, Niagara, Oswego, Pitt, Stanwix, and Ticonderoga. The letters mention and discuss John Appy, John Bradstreet, William Browning, Henry Gladwin, Frederick Haldimand, William Johnson, supplier Christopher Kilby, Robert Monckton, John Prideaux, Robert Rogers, John Stanwix, and John Stuart, among others.

• August 1758-January 1759: Material related to Amherst's successful siege at Louisbourg, including letters, orders, returns, and a report on the condition of the camp
• May 7, 1759: Plans for an invasion into Canada and for the taking of Fort Ticonderoga
• July and August 1759: Preliminary action before the taking of Ticonderoga
• July 28, 1759: News of the death of Brigadier General John Prideaux
• August 5, 1759: A description of the design of the proposed fort at Oswego
• March 31, 1760: A letter describing a great fire in Boston that destroyed one quarter of the city
• October 18, November 4, 1760, and August 31, 1761: Mentions of Mrs. Gage traveling from Albany to Montreal, of her pregnancy, and of her interactions with "the religious ladies"
• August 1, 1761: Description of Lieutenant Colonel Grant's success against the Cherokee with details on the attack; consideration of a tax on spirits to encourage spruce beer
• September-October 1761: Amherst's headquarters at Staten Island
• December 12, 1761: Lord Egremont stresses the use of gentleness and kindness with the French and Indians in Canada
• 1762-1763: Letters to Gage regarding provisioning forces in Canada and transmitting news from America, England, and Europe
• January 16, 1762: Sir William Johnson reports on relations with Seneca Indians
• October 13, 1762: News of the retaking of St. Johns from the French, making the entire island of Newfoundland British
• July 1, 1763: Sir William Johnson's report on steps to take to appease the Six Nations
• August 1, 1763: Report that Michilimackinac has fallen to the Potawatomi Indians
• November 1, 1763: A letter from Henry Gladwin from Detroit recounting the settlement of peace with Pontiac - enclosed are 8 letters from Neyon de Villiere to Gladwin and the Indians of Detroit and a letter from Pontiac to Gladwin (in French)
• November 17, 1763: Amherst advices the colonial governors that he is returning to England
• January 30, 1764: Accounts for Henry Gladwin of Detroit with receipts and account records spanning October 1762-October 1763

The Schedules series (306 items) comprises the "Papers Delivered by Major General Sir Jeffery Amherst, on his giving up the Command of the Troops in North America, to Major General [Thomas] Gage." The letters and documents are organized into 14 "schedules" grouped by geography and sender/recipient. Letters are primarily copies and extracts, and the bulk of the items date from April to October 1763.

Schedule 1 (Volume 1, pages 1-34) documents Amherst's communications with the British administration at Whitehall, primarily with King George III and Secretary of State Charles Wyndham Egremont.

• Pages 9-12: The Treaty of Paris
• Pages 18 (see also Schedule 2 pages 45-47, 51-53): Captain John Dalrymple's petition concerning accusations from North Carolina Governor Arthur Dobbs
• Pages 19-26: Britain's new acquisitions in America after the Treaty of Paris, and the boarders with the Indian tribes in Canada and Florida
• Pages 20 and 29: Suspicions of Catholics and priests in Canada

Schedule 2 (Volume 1, pages 35-61) documents relate to Secretary of War Welbore Ellis and Treasury Secretary Henry Jenkinson.

• Pages 38-39: Lists on the makeup of the regiments of Major General Robert Monckton and Lieutenant General James Abercromby
• 45-47, 51-53: A memorial for Captain John Dalrymple and communications between Amherst and Governor Arthur Dobbs regarding Dalrymple's arrest and trial
• Page 50: Amherst's report on the troops along the Mississippi and in Canada, including a suggestion that the commander-in-chief's headquarters be either at New York or Philadelphia

Schedule 3 (Volume 1, pages 62-93) documents relate to commanders on the Southern and western frontier, including officers at Pensacola, St. Augustine, Mobile, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, and Fort de Chartres.

• Page 62-68: Instructions for armies across the continent
• Page 71: A list of transport ships under Lieutenant Colonel Robertson
• Page 81: Report on the Seneca Indians from Amherst
• Page 83-87: Provisions and returns for troops stationed at St. Augustine and Pensacola

Schedule 4 (Volume 2, pages 1-29) documents relate to Major Henry Gladwin stationed at Detroit, and Major John Wilkins at Fort Niagara, concerning Pontiac's rebellion.

• Pages 5-9: Intelligence from Detroit
• Pages 16-17: A description of an Indian attack on the schooner Queen Royal, leaving Niagara for Detroit, and Amherst's response
• Pages 19-21: Courts of inquiry on soldiers captured by Indians
• Pages 22-28: Reports on the 60th Regiment at Niagara and Indian relations
• Page 29: Discussions concerning the offer of a reward of 100-200 pounds to the person who kills Pontiac

Schedule 5 (Volume 2, pages 30-37) contains the letters between Amherst and General Henry Bouquet.

• Page 30-31: Plans for troop reductions in the Southern District
• 34-37: Details on the 60th Regiment at Fort Pitt

Schedule 6 (Volume 2, pages 38-39) letters to Lieutenant Colonel Browning of the 46th Regiment at Niagara concerning a robbery at Fort Pitt, and to Lieutenant Colonel Campbell of the 17th Regiment regarding disbanding regiments

Schedule 7 (Volume 2, pages 40-74) concerns scaling back operations at Fort Halifax, including many accounts and expense reports.

• Pages 41-45: Orders to Otho Hamilton for the 40th Regiment to move to Halifax
• Pages 46-52: Proceedings of councils of war at Halifax concerning supply stoppages (September 1, 1752, August 3, 1759, September 3, 1763)
• Page 60: A list of persons "as judged as absolutely neccissary for office at Halifax"

Schedule 8 (Volume 2, pages 75-82) contains information on operations at Louisbourg, primarily with Colonel John Tulleken.

Schedule 9 (Volume 3, pages 1-38) documents operations at the fort at St. John and the troops at Newfoundland, primarily through communications with Captain Stephen Gauly.

• Page 5: Expenses for 1762
• Page 8: Disbursements for September 1762-August 1763
• Pages 9-38: Accounts for the Newfoundland operations

Schedule 10 (Volume 3, pages 39-42) contains letters between Amherst and Sir William Johnson, concerning Indian relations, including the Seneca and Six Nations tribes in Western New York, Canada, and the Illinois and Ohio territories.

Schedule 11 (Volume 3, pages 43-60) documents communications with John Stuart from Charleston, South Carolina, concerning southern Indian affairs. Of note is a speech from Cherokee Chief Little Carpenter

Schedule 12 (Volume 3, pages 61-80) contains letters from Governor Thomas Boone of South Carolina; Lieutenant Governor Fauquier of Virginia; Colonel Adam Stephen at Winchester, Virginia; Lieutenant Governor James Hamilton and Governor John Penn of Pennsylvania; New Jersey Governor William Franklin; New York Lieutenant Governor Cadwallader Colden; and Amherst. These concern purchasing lands from various Indian tribes, settlement on Indian lands, and troop levels in the various colonies.

Schedule 13 (Volume 3, pages 81-91) concern Henry Bouquet and the regiment organized at Fort Pitt.

Schedule 14 (Volume 3, pages 92-117) contains troop dispositions, expense accounts, military returns, and letters received in New York after Amherst had left for England.

• Page 81: A disposition for all British forces in North America in August 1763
• Pages 92-95: Reports from Bouquet regarding Fort Pitt (October 24, 1763)
• Pages 95-110: Reports from John Hopkins of Detroit including accounts and returns
• Page 111: A letter from Robert Rogers at Detroit who was too deep in debt to pay his creditors
• Pages 112-115: Letters from Colonel John Bradstreet on the forces at Albany, New York
• Pages 116-117: Letters from Thomas Hancock of Boston concerning the sale of supplies at Louisbourg

The Commissions, Reports, and Articles of Capitulation series (11 items) contains various treaties and reports relating to the British victory over France in the French and Indian War.

• November 24, 1759: Proclamations for the British takeover of Ticonderoga and Crown Point (2 items)
• September 8, 1760: Articles of Capitulation for the surrender of Canada from Amherst to French Governor Pierre François de Rigaud
• May 29, 1762: Appointment of Lieutenant Launcelot Hill to the 55th Regiment
• February 10, 1763: "The Definitive Treaty of Peace and friendship Between His Britannick Majesty, the Most Christian King, and the King of Spain, Concluded at Paris," printed in London, 1763
• June 8, 1763: "A Report of the Board of Trade" relating to the new British possession in America from France and Spain and the board's "opinion by what regulations the most extensive Advantages may be derived from them" (2 copies)
• July 9, [1763]: A customs act from George III along with a printed list of ships in Newfoundland and America and additional instructions to the fleet under Captain Graves (4 items)

This volume contains an anonymous journal of a voyage from Kennebunk, Maine, to New Orleans, Louisiana, and Cincinnati, Ohio, between December 9, 1852, and January 24, 1853, as well as poetry, short stories, and essays composed by a second unknown writer between May 1857 and February 1887. One poem and one story concern the Civil War, and the author composed biographical essays about prominent individuals, families, and other topics.

This volume contains an anonymous journal of a voyage from Kennebunk, Maine, to New Orleans, Louisiana, and Cincinnati, Ohio, between December 9, 1852, and January 24, 1853 (21 pages), as well as poetry, short stories, and essays composed by a second unknown writer between May 1857 and February 1887 (117 pages). One poem and one story concern the Civil War, and the author frequently composed biographical essays about prominent individuals, families, and other topics.

The first 21 pages, titled "Journal of a voyage from Kennebunk to New Orleans," are made up of daily diary entries composed during a voyage from Maine to Louisiana and from Louisiana to Ohio. The author embarked from Kennebunk, Maine, onboard the Golden Eagle (commanded by Captain Nathaniel Thompson) on December 9, 1852, and made daily observations about life at sea. As the Golden Eagle approached Florida in late December, he described the scenery in the Bahamas, the Florida Keys, and coastal Louisiana. On one occasion, the ship encountered a boat transporting slaves to New Orleans. The author arrived in New Orleans on December 28, where he wrote about some of his experiences in the city, such as a visit to the cattle market. On January 12, he boarded the steamer Yorktown for a journey up the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers to Cincinnati. He noted the cities passed along the way, such as Vicksburg and Memphis, and described southern plantations, making note of their use of slave labor. On January 15, he reported that the Yorktown had taken a newly purchased African American family onboard, who entertained the passengers with dancing and music. By the final entry, dated January 24, 1853, the author had just passed Evansville, Indiana.

The volume also contains a commonplace book, in which the writer composed 117 pages of poetry, short stories, and essay. Several poems are translations of German poems by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Ludwig Uhland, and others appear to be original compositions. Among the latter is "Our Native Land," a patriotic verse written in March 1863, and additional poetry dated June 1869. The author wrote one short story in March 1862. An essay, "the Presentiment," consists of recollections of a war-era soldiers' relief society worker and a story respecting a woman's premonition of her own death. Biographical sketches and essays comprise most of the remaining material and are often annotated with small edits. Persons of interest include Horace Walpole, William Cowper, Nassau family members, Michael Faraday, Sir Philip Sidney, Norman Macleod, Dr. John Brown, and Henry of Navarre. Other essays concern the "Besor brook" in Judaea, the rivers of Babylon, and the telegraph.

A financial account between Charles Thompson and Nathaniel L. Thompson, settled in Kennebunk, Maine, on January 1, 1856, is laid into the volume.

This log book contains information about several voyages of the ships Moro Castle and Southern Rights between the United States and Europe from 1860-1867. Log entries pertain to weather, sailing, crew members, the discharge of cargo, and other matters. The volume also contains a brief excerpt from William Shakespeare's poem "Venus and Adonis."

This log book (93 pages) contains entries regarding multiple voyages of the ships Moro Castle and Southern Rights between the United States and Europe from 1860-1867.

Under W. L. Knowles, the Moro Castle traveled between New York and Bristol, England, from October 5, 1860-May 26, 1861. The volume also regards voyages between United States and European ports from August 1862-February 1864. Log entries typically report information about the ship's course, the use of sails, and the weather. The author occasionally mentioned crew members, including "green" sailor William Andrewson, who later deserted (October 12, 1860, and October 27-28, 1860); Thomas Brooks, who fell overboard (December 7, 1860); and the ship's cook, who appeared to have a mental breakdown (March 5, 1861). While in port, the Moro Castle discharged cargo, usually wheat. Earlier entries include partially completed hourly charts reporting wind speed, the ship's course, and similar information; later "abstract log" entries consist solely of prose.

The latter part of the volume contains the brief logs of several voyages of the Southern Rights between the United States and Europe. These entries are similar to those of the Moro Castle and appear to be written in the same hand as the later Moro Castle records. The author most frequently documented weather conditions, but also reported the crew's harsh language in an entry dated June 23, 1863, and a crew member's case of "sulks" in an entry dated February 10, 1864. The final pages include a short extract from William Shakespeare's poem "Venus and Adonis" and brief financial records.

• Moro Castle
  • October 5, 1860-May 26, 1861: New York to Bristol, England, and back to New York (including entries made during time in port)
  • August 30, 1862-September 23, 1862: [Mediterranean Sea] to Atlantic Ocean
  • March 24, 1863-April 6, 1863: New Orleans, Louisiana, to New York
  • June 23, 1863-July 23, 1863: New York to Glasgow, Scotland
  • January 5, 1864, and February 4, 1864-February 24, 1864: Leghorn, Italy, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Southern Rights
  • March 15, 1865-March 28, 1865: Shields, [England], to Atlantic Ocean
  • February 28, 1866-March 11, 1866: Charleston, South Carolina, to Liverpool, England
  • April 6, 1867-April 7, 1867: Charleston, South Carolina, to Liverpool, England

The Daniel Morgan collection is made up of financial records, legal documents, correspondence, and other items related to General Daniel Morgan and to Willoughby Morgan, his son.

The Daniel Morgan collection is made up of 63 financial records, legal documents, correspondence, and other items related to General Daniel Morgan and to Willoughby Morgan, his son. The majority of the collection consists of accounts, bonds, promissory notes, and other documents pertaining to Daniel Morgan's financial affairs. Accounts and invoices record Morgan's purchases of clothing, wagon-related equipment and services, and other items. Some of the later items do not concern Morgan directly but have his legal endorsement. Also included are two outgoing letters by Morgan, a 9-page legal document about a lawsuit against Morgan, and a deposition that Morgan gave in a different dispute. Other items are a bond regarding Morgan's marriage to Abigail Curry (March 30, 1773) and Morgan's political address to the citizens of Allegheny County about politics and the militia (January 17, 1795). Three of the documents pertain to enslaved and free African Americans (November 6, 1773; June 13, 1789; and March 28, 1799). Later items mostly pertain to the estate of Willoughby Morgan, Daniel Morgan's son. James Graham wrote two letters to unknown recipients in 1847 and 1856 about his efforts to write Daniel Morgan's biography, which he subsequently published.

Printed items include a map of the surrender of Yorktown (undated), a newspaper article from a Winchester, Virginia, paper about the possible disinterment of Daniel Morgan's remains (August 18, 1951), and printed portraits of Daniel Morgan with manuscript and facsimile autographs.

This volume documents Henry Mathewson's accounts while he served as the master and supercargo of the ships Mercury and Superior from 1820 to 1827, likely provided as defense in legal disputes with Willard W. Wetmore who was a partner with one of the firms involved in the trading venture. It notes the expenses and income generated by voyages under Mathewson's command while at various ports in Germany, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Gibraltar, China, and others. Mathewson's accounts provide insight into general seafaring conditions, Pacific mercantile pursuits in South America and China, and speculation efforts. It records wages for members of the crew, financial transactions relating to cargo purchases along the western coast of South America, dealing with government regulations, and commissions with other merchants and travelers. The accounts also reveal particular details, such as the costs associated with purchasing military arms in Bremen, Germany, and the subsequent financial transactions with the Peruvian government for their sale. Occasional references are made in the volume linking this to Mathewson's ongoing legal disputes. The account book is an oversize volume with heavy paper covers and stab-sewn pages.

This volume documents Henry Mathewson's accounts while he served as the master and supercargo of the ships Mercury and Superior from 1820 to 1827, provided as defense in legal disputes with Willard W. Wetmore who was a partner with one of the firms involved in the trading venture. It notes the expenses and income generated by voyages under Mathewson's command while at various ports in Germany, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Gibraltar, China, and others.

Mathewson's accounts provide insight into general seafaring conditions and Pacific mercantile pursuits. For example, they record wages for members of the crew, financial transactions relating to cargo purchases along the western coast of South America, dealing with government regulations, and commissions with other merchants and travelers. The costs of ship repairs, provisioning, and withstanding quarantine are well documented (pages 6, 12-13). Insights are also provided into the types of cargoes being shipped between South America and China, including timber, cotton, silver, gold, and specie (pages 30-31, 34, 39).

The accounts also reveal more particular details, like the costs associated with purchasing military arms in Bremen, Germany, and the subsequent financial transactions with the Peruvian government for their sale (pages 2, 6, 15, 26). Several entries also relate to hassles dealing with counterfeit or "bad" money (pages 6, 30, 35, 39, 46, 55). The accounts also demonstrate some of the unanticipated challenges of trade, like a failed deal to secure 1000 reams of Spanish Paper from a merchant at Rio de Janeiro (page 18) or being robbed by a steward (page 22). Small details about shipboard life also occasionally come to the surface, like the purchase of equipment for oceanic voyages, including a chronometer and sea charts of the Pacific Ocean (page 2), charts of the coast of Peru (page 26), or recovering money from a crewmember for smuggling gin from Germany to Peru (page 7).

Occasional references are made in the volume linking this to Mathewson's ongoing legal disputes, including accounts linked to unauthorized speculation in goods in 1822 and transactions with his business partners in Rhode Island (page 6). The volume includes a second section of accounts starting on page 41, preceded by the notice: "This statement of account, is exhibited by the Defft. Matthewson, not as the account by which he claims, unless the decision should be adverse to him on the question whether the owners of the Mercury as such had the same interest in the Superior her charter & voyage as they had in the Mercury. If the decision on this question is as Mathewson contends it should be, that the owners of the Mercury had not a joint interest with him in the Superior, these accounts will not be necessary, and are therefore exhibited hypothetically. But otherwise, they are his account of the Superior's voyage & employment."

The account book is an oversize volume with heavy paper covers and stab-sewn pages.

This volume contains financial records, journal entries, planting lists, and other content related to a farmer and fur trader in the early 19th century.

This volume is comprised of financial records, journal entries, planting lists, and other content related to a farmer and fur trader in the early 19th century.

• Undated list of prices for animal skins, "Expences Coming to Pennsylvania," and "Expences at the quitting" (1 page)
• Chronological accounts (11 pages, February 1806-March 1806; September 1806-November 1806; and undated)
• Double-entry accounts (9 pages, February 1806-May 1806)

Several individuals, including Sidney Wells, Matthew Gibson, and Daniel Whipple, are represented in both chronological and double-entry records. Most entries pertain to skins from mink, muskrat, and martin, and to manual labor tasks such as cutting grubs, drawings logs, and rafting. Other accounts concern sundries, a knife, a watch, and "a Balance between Guns."

The volume contains 3 pages of notes and journal entries about the author's travels from Cambridge to towns in Pennsylvania (2 pages, February 1806-July 1806); and from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Lansingburgh, New York, via New Jersey and New York City (1 page, August 1806). His notes refer to travel by land and water.

Two pages concern crops planted at Cambridge in May 1808, including potatoes, beans, cabbage, corn, peas, beets, and oats. The volume also has an 8-page list of names and numbers; drawings of a compass rose and geometric shapes; signatures of James Peters and Lydia M. Peters; a very rough sketch of an "apple machine" (apparently for coring or peeling and apple) below which is written the name "George Washington"; and page of manuscript sheet music for the "Duke of Halstein's March."

This commonplace book, produced by an anonymous farmer from the Bucks County, Pennsylvania, region primarily contains passages relating to farming and husbandry. Along with farming accounts and documentation of livestock, agriculture, and dairy production, the commonplace book also features material on the Agricultural Society of Bath. Newspaper clippings comment on medicine, recipes, and farming. Illustrations of fences, sheep, floor plans, property drawings, and a detailed diagram of the "cropping plan" for 1826 appear in the volume.

The creator of the volume references European agricultural societies, data and agricultural systems, and popular agriculturalists, such as George Culley (1735-1813) and Charles de Lasteyrie (1759-1849). The volume provides detailed information on growing crops, managing soil, and tending to livestock.

This collection is made up of 27 legal documents and financial records pertaining to residents of Marblehead, Massachusetts, between 1730 and 1812.

This collection is made up of 27 partially printed legal documents and financial records pertaining to residents of Marblehead, Massachusetts, between 1730 and 1812. Sixteen items are statements of monthly and annual taxes that individual Marblehead residents owed between 1780 and 1812; most are addressed to Benjamin Lancey (or Lansey). The remaining items pertain to financial agreements, real property ownership and sales, and shipping. Two indentures concern the division of large residential buildings and provide detailed information about the rooms and passages belonging to each owner. One financial document relates to the town's fishing industry, and two relate to the schooner Sally: a bill of sale and an insurance policy.

Additional legal documents include an appointment of guardianship and a plaintiff's bill for legal costs incurred during a case in the Circuit Court of Common Pleas for the Middle Circuit.

This volume (198 pages) contains 184 pages showing various branding marks used by horse and cattle dealers throughout the western United States in the late 19th century, as well as 15 pages of accounts recording purchases of cattle in December 1899 and January 1900. The 184 pages of brands are divided into several sections based on the types of identifying marks used; approximately 1,480 brands are represented. The notebook is accompanied by a 35-page pamphlet entitled "Cattle Brands of Texas," published in the mid-20th century.

This volume (198 pages) contains 184 pages showing various branding marks used by horse and cattle dealers throughout the western United States in the late 19th century, as well as 15 pages of accounts recording purchases of cattle in December 1899 and January 1900. The 184 pages of brands are divided into several sections based on the types of identifying marks used, and approximately 1,480 brands are represented. The notebook is accompanied by a 35-page pamphlet entitled "Cattle Brands of Texas," published in the mid-20th century.

The brand book, once owned by a livestock buyer, contains both graphic and textual descriptions of brands used by livestock breeders throughout the Great Plains and western United States. The vast majority of brands are for cattle. Each page has 8 images of cattle or horses stamped in purple ink, with hand-drawn brands placed on the images. Animals' ears are represented by a stamped infinity symbol. Some dealers used variations, which are recorded in red ink. Each livestock stamp is accompanied by the dealer's name, cattle range, and primary city. Suppliers originated from Colorado, "Dakota," Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Texas, and Wyoming. A newspaper clipping showing 7 branded cows of the Warren Live Stock Company of Cheyenne, Wyoming, and their ranges, is pasted on page 23. The brands (pp. 2-185) are followed by 15 pages of accounts recording purchases of cattle made primarily from F. H., W. H., & M. B. Gill Brothers of Greeley, Colorado, in December 1899 and January 1900 (pp. 186-201). Each account includes a stamped image of a cow with a brand, the supplier, and the price, each spread across two pages. A total price appears at the bottom of every two pages.

The Western Brand book is accompanied by a short pamphlet entitled Cattle Brands of Texas, published by the First National Bank in Dallas around the mid-1950s. A forward by Wayne Gard introduces the history of cattle branding within the state. The book contains historical notes for numerous brands that decorated the bank's executive dining room.