The twenty-one eyewitness accounts comprising this volume were collected in 1917–18 by the Reverend James L. Barton. Rev. Barton collected the documents for an American Presidential commission investigating various aspects of World War I, including the Armenian Genocide. The materials include graphic descriptions of what went on in different parts of the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1917.
They cover Bitlis, Erzerum, Marsovan, Kharpert, Diyarbekir, Mardin, Adana, Talas-Caesarea, and Konia. The fact that the volume covers such a wide range of communities makes it particularly useful for gaining insights into the genocidal process of 1915.
In a brief introduction to each report, Reverend Barton provides biographical notes about the author of that report. Each report is also accompanied by archival citations relating to the authenticity of the report.