Vol. 2 has a county by county history and includes some brief family histories and lists of residents.

These sketches are the result of years of inquiry, research and compilation intended to give such traditions and facts as could be had from reliable sources and records. The demand for sketches of many of Pitt's prominent men made necessary the addition of a second part. Advertisements were necessary from a financial standpoint and are included in the back, separate and apart.

This well-known history of Watauga County, North Carolina, is considered one of the best ever written. From Watauga County's 'Yankee Ancestry' to its role in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, nothing is overlooked.