This work has been used as a reference by many Tennessee genealogists and historians because of the variety of sources and contributors. The information included in the contents has been brought from family Bibles, from tombstones, from dairies, from letters and other manuscripts, from county records, and from other sources which have previously been neglected. In additions to the large number of inscriptions, there are more than 100 pages of biographical and historical sketches. The mortuary inscriptions often provide the name of the deceased, dates of birth and death, and the names of other family members, including the spouse, children. This work also includes a comprehensive index of approximately 12,000 entries.