"War Relics and Reminiscences: An Appendix to Seth Eyland's Memoirs, by the Author" are five scrapbook volumes containing illustrations (black & white and color); post-war correspondence; and war-time orders, diary entries (transcriptions of), and correspondence, compiled by Cronin c 1888-1893 as an appendix to his The Evolution of a Life, Described in the Memoirs of Major Seth Eyland. The five scrapbook volumes contain numerous references to the published memoirs. An item-level calendar exists for War Relics and Reminiscences, see Manuscript Department staff.

The volumes detail the activities of the 1st New York Mounted Rifles during the Civil War, in Virginia along the York and James Rivers, and in North Carolina. This cavalry unit participated in the following campaigns: Deserted House (Jan. 1863), Longstreet's seige of Suffolk (May 1863), Bottom's Bridge (Feb. 1864), Drewry's Bluff or Fort Darlington (May 1864), and The Darbytown Road (Oct. 1864). Material also describes daily routines such as picket duty, orderly and courier duty, and scouting patrols on the Peninsula. Some skirmishes with Confederate bushwhackers and the looting activities of the Mounted Rifles are also described.

War Relics and Reminiscences contain four large collections of war-time correspondence from soldiers to their friends and family, which detail camp life, field duties, recreation, diet, medical care, desertions and prisoners, bounties and enlistments, politics, slavery, and skirmishes. These collections are the Samuel and Francis Budd Letters, the Edwin Parker Letters, the Thomas Turner Letters, and the John Wagner Letters. See calendar for locations and indexes for these collections.

Material in the five volumes is arranged alphabetically by commissioned officers, then alphabetically by non-commissioned officers and soldiers.

This series contains mostly items related to Civil War cavalry units collected by Cronin, then inlaid and bound together as the "Cavalry Album." The pages were, at some point, disbound and foldered. The folder level arrangement of the album has been retained, though the original order of the items within the volume is unclear.

Some material in the Cavalry Album is arranged alphabetically by soldier, and includes correspondence, reminiscences, addresses, military documents, and published items. See container list for names. Cronin's folder contains a portrait and military documents. Some post-war correspondence (both Union and Confederate) has been filed separately.

Further material relating to soldiers, mostly portraits, is arranged by cavalry. Units from New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey are represented, as well as U.S. Cavalry. In addition, the Cavalry Album contains several portraits of army nurses, images of army camps, inventory reports, muster rolls, dispatches, orders, and newspaper clippings, especially those related to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

This series also contains an incomplete draft manuscript of the "History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry."

This series contains handwritten memoirs entitled "War Reminiscences" by Major W.W. [William Worthington] Goldsborough of the Confederate Army, 2nd Maryland Infantry. The original pages have been inlaid, and Goldsborough added to his narrative in the margins of the oversized pages, often creating two separate narratives on one page.

Goldsborough's memoirs discuss John Brown's raid, an aborted trip to Baltimore by Lincoln, unrest in Baltimore at the start of the war, Confederate army camp life, activities in MD and VA, truce meetings, and the battle of Gettysburg.

Also included are numerous newspaper clippings of Civil War reminiscences written by Goldsborough for the Philadelphia Record [1899-1900], which detail his experiences in 2nd Bull Run, Malvern, Antietam, Gettysburg, and Harper's Ferry, as well as his capture and life as a prisoner at Fort Delaware, Fort Pulaski, and Morris Island. The articles are mounted and annotated by Goldsborough.

This series also contains portraits of Goldsborough, both sketches and photographs, a photograph of a 2nd Maryland Infantry C.S.A. memorial, and several obituaries of Goldsborough.

The bulk of correspondence is letters from Cronin to his patron and friend, Daniel Parish, Jr., 1887-1909. Letters discuss Cronin's work on Evolution of a Life, the Cavalry Album, The Culprit Fay, his bibliography, Goldsborough's memoirs, and other endeavors, sometimes detailing the lives of particular personages found in his works and reminiscing about his service in the Civil War. A number of letters deal with his relationship with Parish, illuminating aspects of their occasionally contentious patron-artist relationship, especially financial ones. Cronin also muses on the life of the artist in his correspondence.

Letters to Parish also cover a 1901 journey by Cronin to Virginia, which include observations on the South and racial issues. In addition, a number of letters mention The New-York Historical Society, and its new building on Central Park West.

This series also contains one folder of correspondence to Cronin from others regarding his work, as well as a few letters from Cronin to others, including one to his sister written from Virginia in August, 1865, and a few letters between others.

Also included is a number of postcards and photos, mostly of Williamsburg, Va. and some notes of Cronin's (sent to Parish) entitled "Phila. May 13th 1897 Notes of a conversation held between F.A. Whitehead (Lincoln, Del.) And D.E. Cronin at the Reading Terminal Station, between trains, yesterday, May 12th. Submitted to Mr. Parish for his information and guidance in the matter of the regimental history, while reminding him that my motives are personal vindication and self defense."

This series contains volumes illustrated by Cronin, including two copies of Joseph Rodman Drakes's poem The Culprit Fay, a copy of a limited edition Bibliography Relating to the Works Hand Illustrated by David Edward Cronin, and The Vest Mansion: Its Historical and Romantic Associations As Confederate and Union Headquarters, 1862-1865, written and illustrated by Cronin.

Labels for an exhibit of Cronin's work, possibly Jan.-Mar., 1941