The collection consists mainly of letters to Paul DeClouet, son of Alexander DeClouet, Sr. (1812-1890) of St. Martinville, Louisiana. Paul was a student in Virginia, a volunteer in the Confederate army, and a farmer in St. Martinville after the war. For a time in 1862 he and his brother, Alexander, Jr. were prisoners-of-war. The letters usually deal with domestic and personal matters. Some touch upon national politics including the Confederate Congress (to which Alexander DeClouet, Sr. was a delegate) and the Civil War. Major correspondents are Paul's parents, his siblings Alex Jr., Blanche, and Gabrielle, and after the war, his wife, Jane Roman DeClouet. Most of the letters were written in French. The collection also contains the legal agreement between the DeClouet family and their former slaves executed in 1866. There are also a number of documents concerning expenses of family members during Reconstruction.

Typescripts of all documents including translations of the letters in French are available. These were provided by Thomas Favrot, Jr. The typescripts include documents from the DeClouet Family Papers at Tulane [1854-1858] and papers in the possession of Mrs. Marty Sims [1849-1858, 1875 legal document.]