The collection consists of biographical information, a personal ledger, selections from his personal library, and the flute he used as a Davidson College student. The biographical information includes an obituary, photocopies of information from the family Bible, and a typed copy of an address given by Johnston on "The Standard of Moral Character in Teachers." The ledger contains personal notes and the original handwritten copy of the speech. The books and flute are housed separately. The books include: Outlines of Grecian History for Families and Schools (Philadelphia, 1846); Holy Bible (New York: American Bible Society, 1859); Robert Pollack's The Course of Time (New York: Leavitt and Allen, 1853); and Joseph Belcher's The Religious Denominations in the United States (Philadelphia: John E. Potter, 1859).