Soldier's discharge papers for John Patterson Osterhout due to his term of service expiring. He was discharged honorably from the army of the Confederate States on April 25, 1862. The document includes a basic description of his appearance and who he served under.

General pass for John Patterson Osterhout from the Provost Marshal General's Office. The pass allowed John to travel in Texas under oath that he would not leak any information about the Confederate States of America.

Certificate of voter registration for John Patterson Osterhout in Austin county. Chief Justice of Austin county, C. B. Oney, testified that John fulfilled the oath of amnesty and John Campbell, county clerk, attested to the registration.

Certificate of the election to adjutant of the 23rd Battalion of the Texas State Troops for John Patterson Osterhout. It was part of a rally for troops for the Civil War and the certificate was signed by the governor, Francis Richard Lubbock, and the Secretary of State.

Certificate of the election to the Justice of the Peace for John Patterson Osterhout signed by Texas governor Sam Houston and the Secretary of State.

Letter from David Osterhout to his brother, Orlando Osterhout, discussing his family. His children had gotten well after having the measles and he said they were doing well after moving to Texas. The hot weather was making it difficult for David to work and he wished he had money to buy cattle and sheep to lighten his work load. He hoped his letter found Orlando well and wanted to hear from him soon.

Letter from J. W. McDade to Headquarters concerning Private John Patterson Osterhout's detachment. The brief message stated that John was officially detached from his unit and had to report back to his company after seven days.

Letter from John Patterson Osterhout to his wife, Junia Roberts Osterhout, discussing his time with the Confederate Army. He was grateful to receive her letters from home and detailed the marches that he had been enduring. Like many of the other men felt unwell, he felt unwell, and they were preparing for battle when he concluded the first part of his letter. The second part was written the next day after the soldier's new camp had been secured. The men were living off of a diet of oysters that day and John thought they might be reorganizing later that month. He wished he could see his children, especially his eldest son, Paul Osterhout, and hoped they would stay safe.

Transcript of letter from John Patterson Osterhout to his wife, Junia Roberts Osterhout, discussing his time with the Confederate Army. He was grateful to receive her letters from home and detailed the marches that he had been enduring. Like many of the other men, he felt unwell, and they were preparing for battle when he concluded the first part of his letter. The second part was written the next day after the soldier's new camp had been secured. The men were living off of a diet of oysters that day and John thought they might be reorganizing later that month. He wished he could see his children, especially his eldest son, Paul Osterhout, and hoped they would stay safe.

Letter from John Patterson Osterhout to his wife, Junia Roberts Osterhout, discussing his time traveling with his oxen wagon. He and his companion, Jo, have had difficulties keeping the oxen in line and have been searching for the ones that have run off. On the route he has taken, he noticed a lot of cotton making its way to Mexico. He was asking around for the price of a bushel of wheat and because of the missing oxen, he was unable to purchase as much as he had planned. He closed his letter by telling her he would be unable to return home until December.