There are five Civil War letters from Edwin A. Cummings to his parents in East Montpelier, Vermont, describing army life, his treatment as a prisoner of war and his health. They cover the period from January, 1862 to September, 1862. There is also one letter to Edwin A. Cummings from his sister, Elsie M. Cummings, dated October 28, 1863 from Medfield, Massachusetts.

There are also seven letters from Lawson C. Cummins to his brother Gus and to his sister. Six are dated 1893 and one is dated 1897. The letters contain local news, farming information, and discussion of family finances, particularly in relation to the 1893 financial panic.

Edwin A. Cummings was born in East Montpelier, Vermont on April 8, 1839. He enlisted as a musician in Company G, Fourth Vermont Regiment on August 27, 1861. He was taken prisoner on June 29, 1862 at Savage's Station, Virginia and was then taken to Richmond, Virginia. He was paroled on August 3, 1862 and because he was ill, he was transferred to a hospital in Maryland. He was discharged October 10, 1862.

Lawson C. Cummins was born in East Montpelier, Vermont around 1849. He was an inventor and manufactured rifle telescope sights.