The diary outlines several major battles, including Manassas, the Peninsula, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg and others. Bancroft also descrides his time serving in the balloon corps, providing sketches of the balloons and his camp. The diary also includes postwar material, including newspaper articles, correspondence, photos of reunions and other materials the detail the lives of northern soldiers after the war. Also included are photos of Bancroft's gear.