The Barrier Family correspondence includes 123 letters. Thirty-four of these were written by William Lafayette Barrier during the Civil War (9 July 1861 to 8 May 1864), 33 to his father Mathias in Mt. Pleasant. Eighty-two were written by Rufus Alexander Barrier to Mathias during the war (20 December 1861 to 17 March 1865). Each brother's letters cover close to the full period of his military service, and so provide a relatively seamless account of his years in the field. The seven remaining letters were written by as many different correspondents, and are addressed to either Rufus or Mathias. Most notable is a letter to Mathias from Mrs. S. I. Epps of Richmond, informing him of the death of William Lafayette. About half the letters retain their original covers.