The first half of the book provides an historical overview of the time periods through which the families are traced. This section includes sketches of: Henrico County, Virginia; the Revolutionary War; the pioneer movement westward; the War of 1812; the development of Bradley County, Tennessee; Tennessee's internal struggle as the Civil War began; and the Civil War itself. This section provides a great deal of information of purely historical value, and briefly places some of the family names in context. The family mentioned most in this first half is the family of William Hampton; other related families appear briefly in the histories. The second half of the book provides genealogical information about the Hampton, Longwith, Mabry, McCracken, and Wells families; the Liner and Griffith families, though not mentioned separately, are touched upon when their lines cross those of the major families. This section gives in-depth accounts of the individuals' participation in the events described in the first half. The members of a family, their marriages and their children, are traced in as much detail as possible. Records from the court and church, tax and property records, letters, and military records are some of the sources used to sketch the growth and development of the families. A section of selected records provides a quick genealogical reference, listing the marriage, birth, and death dates of the family members. The volume is enriched with photographs, copies of letters, articles, and documents. The index lists all names found in the text.