This collection contains correspondence, military records, and pension records for James W. Cole and John B. Cole. The bulk of the papers relate to bounties and pensions paid to heirs of James W. Cole, as well as details of James' military service during the Civil War. There are two letters from John B. Cole and Aaron Shaw written to James during their service. There is also a letter and blank form from the law offices of Harvey Spalding and Sons soliciting cases for claims of pensions or unrecovered bounties and payments owed to heirs and survivors of Civil War soldiers. In addition, there is a certified copy of a land grant issued by President Andrew Jackson to James "Coal" (Cole) for 80 acres in Crawfordsville, Indiana. The papers also contain documents of Ida M. Cole Hultz, including her membership in the Woman's Relief Corps, No. 74 Indiana, and a handwritten note outlining the genealogy of James W. Cole, which also traces his wife's lineages. Included is a ten-page typed translation of all the papers provided by the antique dealer from whom this collection was purchased.