Samuel Francis du Pont (1803-1865) was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy and fought in the Mexican-American War and the Civil War. The collection contains letters to Joel Turrill (1794-1859) and Joseph Henry (1797-1878). The letters to Turrill are personal in content, referring to their friendship which dated back to 1845 when they both served on the U.S.S. Congress. The letter to Henry references controvery in the Senate involving Henry, likely concerning the Light-House Board.