The first chapter of McMillen's memoir consists of a detailed genealogy of his ancestry. His grandparents were married in Wisconsin, and his grandfathers served in Wisconsin regiments during the Civil War. The second and third chapters describe his early years, growing up and living on farms around Lyons, Heart Prairie, and Whitewater, as well as in the towns of Elkhorn and Whitewater. There are many detailed stories of Walworth County in the 1880's and 1890's, especially of Whitewater, plus stories of visits his family made to Madison and to the Chicago Exposition of 1893.
The material concerning his naval career contains interesting details about many high-ranking naval officers, and on the history of both the Pay and Supply Corps. Included are transcribed letters to family members while at sea, including some written during World War I.
The memoir ends in 1951; this memoir was never published.
