Letters and business papers of William Hughes (b. January 12, 1825) of Port Gibson, and members of his family. Hughes was the son of Benjamin and Nancy Brashears Hughes, who settled in Claiborne County in 1824, and he married Mary Bertron, whose father had married into the Christie, Crane, and Young families. These families, together with the Harpers, Purnells, Lewis Evans, William Lindsay, and others are represented in these papers.

Seven items pertain to Eden Brashears, assistant agent of the Choctaw Agency, and his family (November 12, 1816–February 26, 1821). Thirteen items are land maps and records and wills of Joseph K. Green (September 20, 1806–August 26, 1936). One letter (April 4, 1816) is from David Hunt to William Lindsay (missing), one letter (April 7, 1817) is from Thomas E. Williams to William Lindsay, one letter (October 6, 1835) is from Gibson Gibson to Benjamin Hughes, and one item is a broadside (March 31, 1823) pertaining to "Leonard Jacobs' New and Useful Improvement in Tanning."

The collection contains only 3 pieces dated before 1810, and others are distributed as follows:

• n.d., 23 pieces
• 1810–1819, 19 pieces
• 1820–1829, 11 pieces
• 1830–1839, 16 pieces
• 1840–1849, 1 piece
• 1850–1859, 42 pieces
• 1860–1869, 24 pieces
• 1870–1879, 25 pieces
• 1880–1889, 14 pieces
• 1890–1899, 4 pieces
• 1900–1917, 6 pieces.