Handwritten and signed letters. On April 22, 1861 Frederick van Vliet at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas wrote to Sherman requesting his recommendation for a commission in the United States Army. Sherman wrote his reply on the same sheet of paper on April 25, 1861 at Saint Louis, Missouri. Sherman recommended van Vliet be made an officer of cavalry.

The William T. Sherman letter is addressed to Francis Amasa Walker and is dated August 20, 1874. At the time of the writing, Sherman was the Commander-in-Chief of the US Army. Sherman expresses his views on the topic of a book, and adds comments on the Mormon problem-suggesting that both Mormons and Indians must be assimilated into American society to survive the consequences of the westward movement.