Consists of letters received by Calhoun mostly while on naval duty, some of the which are about the political situation in South America, chiefly Argentina, Uruguay, and the Falkland Islands, while others concern personal or business matters. They are in English and Spanish. Correspondents include Edward Bayard, Dr. James Bond, Joshua Bond, who was United States Consul in Argentina, and John D. Legaré. The correspondence from Joshua and James Bond concerns the independence of South American countries and the Spanish and British conflicts regarding the Falkland Islands. These letters were sent mainly from Montevideo and Buenos Aires while Calhoun was on board the U.S.S. Boston. The letters from Edward Bayard are personal letters, mostly in Spanish, sent from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Buenos Aires (Argentina), and Havana (Cuba).They give Calhoun an account of social events at the time when Bayard was traveling in South America and the West Indies. Letters by Legaré, mailed from Charleston, are about the sale of grain.