Papers, 1779-1791, relating to Preston's public service and family interests. More than a dozen letters, 1779-1789, from his nephew John Brown Jr. describe his life as a law student under George Wythe at William and Mary College; events in Williamsburg during the Revolution; his later study with Jefferson; and his subsequent law practice with his brother James in Danville, Kentucky. A letter (1779) from John Williams at Kaskaskia discussed Illinois conditions after Clark's conquest and included mention of the death of Joseph Bowman.

Numerous papers pertain to the Loyalist plot (1780) to capture lead mines near Fort Chiswell and to make connections with the British Army invading the Carolinas, a conspiracy followed by legal prosecution of suspected or alleged Tories. Relating to these events are letters of advice from Governor Thomas Jefferson and a letter by Preston to several Loyalists whom he hoped could be won back to allegiance to Virginia.

Also included are Montgomery and Botetourt county court proceedings during the trial of the Tories for misbehavior and treason, during which Preston was one of the fifteen justices taking part; confessions and bonds for good behavior entered by several of the Loyalists; and a list of Tories and Quakers who refused to take the oath of allegiance. Names of approximately fifty Loyalists appear in these court proceedings and related papers.

Scattered through Preston's correspondence are references to frontier Indian depredations and to land business, particularly that of the Loyal and Greenbrier land companies in which Dr. Thomas Walker was deeply involved. Among topics given occasional comments in letters are the battle of Stony Point (1779), the battle of King's Mountain and Preston's resignation as superintendent of the captured British prisoners (1780), the founding of a Latin school at New Providence Meetinghouse (1783), and Spanish control of trade on the Mississippi River (1789).

Among the many other persons from whom Preston received letters were Martin Armstrong, Andrew Boyd, Alexander Breckinridge, John Breckinridge, William Breckinridge, James Brown, the Reverend John Brown, Arthur Campbell, William Campbell, William Christian, Joseph Cloyd, Joseph Crockett, Walter Crockett, Mrs. Nancy Devereaux, Dudley Digges, Thomas Douglas, William Fleming, Joseph Grey, John Heavin, John Hetcher, Peter Hog, Andrew Lewis, Thomas Lewis, Patrick Lockhart, Andrew McWilliams, Thomas Madison, Thomas Martin, John Mills, Edmund Pendleton, James Robertson, Thomas Walker, and John Williams. A few drafts of letters by Preston to James Bane, James Byrn, Horatio Gates, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg, George Skillern, and Isaac Taylor are also in this volume. Also found is a list of men in William Doack's militia company (1780).

Appendix E lists by page number names found in 5 QQ (Volume 5).