Correspondence, proclamations, messages of the president, court cases, minute books, docket books, customs records, financial papers, letterbooks, orders, reports, accounts, receipts, and other records relating to the formulation of the government of the Confederacy and the conduct of its internal, external, and military affairs. Includes records of the departments of state, justice, treasury, navy, war and post office along with material related to the president, congress, and constitution.

Records of the Department of State have been traditionally known as the Pickett Papers and include correspondence of secretary of state J. P. Benjamin with diplomats in Belgium, France, Great Britain, and Mexico, the James Wolcott Wadsworth collection of related material, and other records.

Correspondents include Bolling Baker, G. T. Beauregard, J. P. Benjamin, C. C. Clay, Lewis Conger, Jefferson Davis, Edwin DeLeon, Anthony J. Guirot, Charles J. Helm, Lewis Heyliger, Henry Hotze, L. C. Q. Lamar, A. Dudley Mann, J. M. Mason, C. G. Memminger, John T. Pickett, John A. Quintero, John H. Reagan, Raphael Semmes, John Slidell, Alexander Hamilton Stephens, Jacob Thompson, William Henry Trescott, LeRoy Pope Walker, and William Lowndes Yancey.