This collection consists of personal correspondence, manuscripts by Long and others, articles, booklets, essays, clippings, photocopies, research notes, maps, brochures, and photographs. The papers reflect Long's successful career as a Civil War historian and are in very good condition for the most part.

While most of the materials in this collection are dated in the twentieth century, there are several original Civil War documents of the nineteenth century. Of further interest are the drafts of Allan Nevins's Ordeal of the Union, which were edited by E. B. Long, and the nine long index boxes of Long's research notes on the Civil War.

The papers have been divided into the following categories: personal correspondence, manuscripts by Long, manuscripts by others, general files covering a wide range of subjects, drafts of Allan Nevins' Ordeal of the Union, research notes on the Civil War, index card files of articles, and miscellaneous volumes of clippings. The correspondence is arranged both chronologically for general correspondence and alphabetically for correspondence with specific individuals, resulting in some overlapping of dates. Correspondents include Bruce Catton, the Civil War Round Table, Doubleday and Company, Allan Nevins, Lowell Reedinbaugh, and John Y. Simon. Other materials in the collection are arranged either chronologically or alphabetically depending on the nature of the information.

This collection consists of various correspondence, photographs, short handwritten manuscripts, and oral history communications with transcripts describing Ava Johnson's life, and work as a women cattle ranger in Texas.

The collection was compiled by Cynthia Ott, who interviewed Ava Johnson Cox with the intent of publishing a history of early 20th-century life in what is known as the Hill Country of Texas (highlighting Blanco, Gillespie, and Hays counties).

The Thomas W. Davis III manuscript of A Former POW Looks Back chronicles Davis' World War II experience as an American battery commander on Corregidor Island and as a prisoner of war held by the Japanese. The manuscript includes his observations of life as an Army junior officer, and American military preparedness before the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor and the military's initial war mobilization in the Philippines. It also contains a vivid account of the fighting on Corregidor before American forces stationed there surrendered to the Japanese in 1942 and the dismal conditions prisoners of war faced. Davis provides several anecdotes about how soldiers dealt with the war and being held as prisoners. He describes in detail the conditions of Japanese POW camps including the lack of food and water, the bad sanitary conditions, the many diseases afflicting prisoners, camp routines, and the Japanese treatment of their prisoners.

The manuscript is typed with handwritten corrections and contains several original black and white, and color photographs and illustrations in excellent condition.