This collection of Haskell family papers consists of two components. One is a set of letters written by Albert Haskell, a young soldier, who served in the Union Army from 1862 until his death in 1865. The second is a set of eighteenth and nineteenth century documents belonging to several generations of the Haskell family of Gloucester and Essex, Massachusetts.

Folder 1 contains a set of 26 letters written by Albert Haskell to his older brother Francis (Frank) or to his father Francis. Twenty-five of these letters plus three additional ones were later transcribed; the typewritten copies are in Folder 2. The letters span the time between the summer of 1862 when Albert enlisted in the 39th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry at Camp Stanton, Boxford, Massachusetts, to the summer of 1864, shortly before he was taken prisoner at the battle of Weldon Railroad in Virginia. The letters provide a well-rounded picture of Albert's life as a young private in the Union Army. He describes his time on picket or guard duty and also on marches. A final letter is addressed to Albert's father on March 12, 1865, from T. Andrews Jr, a former tent-mate of Albert's, who remembers him as a devout Christian and a good and considerate man.

Folder 3 contains 24 deeds and documents from 1750 to 1851. There are two wills: one by Thomas Norton of Ipswich (1750); and a copy of Isaac Haskell's (1716-1804) will. The executor of Isaac's will was his only son Adoniram (1761-1845), Albert's grandfather. Other deeds concern the purchase and sale of properties in Gloucester, the purchase of pews in the Trinitarian Congregational Society Meeting House in Gloucester (1834), and the purchase and sale of shares in the Haskell sawmill (1834-1836). Several of these documents refer to a Frederic Haskell, who was most likely Adoniram's oldest son. Six documents from the Civil War era are included in Folder 3. Of particular relevance to this collection is the draft notice addressed to Albert's older brother, Francis (Frank) P. Haskell. Frank was drafted in July 1863 but was exempted from service because of an inguinal hernia. He survived the War and later had a son named Albert.

Folder 4 consists of an account book belonging to Adoniram Haskell (1761-1845), grandfather of Albert Haskell. The book is dated 1802 on the cover, but it contains entries spanning the years 1791 to 1914. It includes a concise Haskell family genealogy, starting with William Haskell (circa 1617-1693), who was born in England and settled in Gloucester, Massachusetts, in 1643. It also includes a brief record of the Perkins family descended from Francis Perkins (1732-1812) of Ipswich, Massachusetts, who was the father of Adoniram Haskell's wife, Ruth Perkins Haskell (1777-1837). Also present are undated accounts and a description of land and dwelling in Essex, Massachusetts, allocated to widow, Susan B. Haskell.

Two souvenir newspapers are stored in Folder 5. One from 1875 celebrated the centennial of the battle of Bunker Hill in 1775. The other is a facsimile copy of the Massachusetts Centinel, issued as a souvenir of the Washington Centennial celebration by the Boston Daily Globe in 1889.

Folder 6 contains the leather pouch in which the 24 deeds and documents in Folder 3 were stored.