The collection consists of 33 letters written between 1862 and 1866. The bulk of the correspondence is from Gold to his mother. There are also several pieces of correspondence to his brother and individual letters to other family members. The correspondence includes two letters from Romulus Loveridge, a fellow graduate of the Gunnery and Washington resident who was a lieutenant in the 3rd US Colored Infantry. The collection also contains a 62 page journal kept by Gold on his voyage from New York to Hong Kong and from Hong Kong to England in 1861-1862.