This collection contains correspondence, financial papers and other miscellaneous papers of the Quitman family. The bulk of the papers are associated with F. Henry Quitman, son of John and Eliza Quitman. Correspondence in the collection is chiefly dated in the 1850s and is from various family members, particularly Eliza. The correspondence from Eliza discusses affairs in Natchez (i.e. seeing Jenny Lind, the yellow fever epidemic, river news); work on the home, Monmouth; activities of John Quitman (i.e. 3/21/1854: "From his frequent visits to the City have led me strongly to believe that he with others are engaged in organizing troops for an attack upon Cuba."); and news of other family members. Much of this correspondence is to her son, Henry. Other correspondence was written by several Quitman family members, including Henry. There are also letters written by Mary Quitman and Alfred Gardner, as well as others.

The financial papers are primarily scattered receipts and bills from various businesses and some legal papers. Included in this series is a bill for furniture that was purchased by Henry in 1855, probably used to furnish Live Oaks Plantation. Other series in the collection include household inventories, student reports of the Gardner family children, maps of Live Oaks Island and Caillon, unidentified poetry and prose (one item by Henry Quitman) and a folder of miscellaneous papers (newsclipping, grocery list, printed matter).