Transcripts and notes gathered by Draper chiefly during his southern journey in 1871. Notes were taken during interviews Draper had with descendants of Thomas Carroll; John Coffee; John Donelson; Anthony Hampton; Edward Lacey and his son Joshua; Joseph McJunkin; William Polk and his son Lucius; John (Jack) Stark (Starke); Edmund Sumpter; Patience Sumter, sister of General Thomas Sumter; Thomas Taylor and his brother James; John Thomas Jr.; and the Winn brothers, John and Richard. There are also copies, excerpts, and summaries of materials Draper read in the papers of Henry Laurens in the South Carolina Historical Society; of John H. Logan in Greenwood, South Carolina; of John Rutledge in the Charleston Library; and of William Gilmore Simms in possession of his daughter Mrs. Edward Roach in Charleston. Filling about half of this volume are the notes and copies Draper made from the correspondence, interviews, pension statements, and other sources collected by Logan for use in continuing his History of Upper South Carolina, of which the first volume had been issued in 1859; the second volume was never completed, however. Selections copied by Draper from Logan's collection include: words to three Revolutionary songs, including one on Ferguson's defeat at King's Mountain and one on Cornwallis's defeat; excerpts from Philip Edward Pearson's “Manuscript History of Fairfield District, S.C.”; a manuscript entitled “Traditions of Union District,” by S.T. Sims; notes (1858) by James H. Saye; excerpts from letters (1782-1784) of William Henderson; a portion of an historical address (1855) by Samuel McGowan of Abbeville; and a copy of a letter (1847) by John C. Calhoun on Calhoun family history. Another section of Pearson's manuscript comprises Volume 24 VV.

Within Volume 16 VV are references to most of the military encounters on the southern frontier in 1780 and 1781; notes on locations of such sites as Andrew Jackson's birthplace, Friday's Fort, and Mobley's Meeting House; information relating to Monday and other Catawba Indians; an interview with Samuel Kennedy, one of the Winn family's Negroes; an account of the military service of Andrew Pickens's black servant known as “Old Dick”; as well as references to dozens of other persons and families. Among these, who have not been mentioned previously in this volume description, are: Robert Anderson; William Beal; John Beckham; John Bowie; Thomas Brandon; William Bratton, John Buchanan; James Butler; Samuel Clowney; Eli Cook; Josiah Culbertson (Culberson); William Dunlap; the Farrow brothers, John, Landon, Samuel, and Thomas; Adam Goudelock; Henry Hampton; Reuben Harrison; James Hawes; and William Hodge. Also included are Joseph Hughes; Richard and William Hughes; Henry Hunter; Robert and William Irwin; Benjamin, John, and Joseph Jolly; Robert Long, William Love; James Lyles; Samuel McJunkin and his sons, Daniel and Joseph; T.C. McMachen; James Moseley; Edward Musgrove and his son Beaks; John Pearson; Andrew Pickens; the Roach brothers, Abe and Thomas; John Rochford; the Roebuck brothers, Benjamin and George; Frank Ross; John Christian Senf; Charles Sims, William Smith (d. 1837); Robert Stark (Starke); James Steen; John Thomas and his wife Jane Black Thomas; Boardwine Waters, his wife Elizabeth McCool Brandon Waters, and his son Landon; Francis Weathered; Daniel and Ursula Williams and their sons James, John, and Joseph; Andrew Williamson and his daughters Eliza and Mary Ann; and Thomas Woodward. Also scattered through the papers are several anecdotes about Lord Cornwallis, data on such South Carolina Tories as William Cunningham, Bill Lee, Henry Rugeley, John Stallions, and Ned Turner, as well as many incidental allusions to Patrick Ferguson and Banastre Tarleton.