John, Henry, and Eli Wildermuth wrote many of these 22 letters while serving with the Union Army during the Civil War. John speaks mostly of the battles on the Western front, discussing the siege of Vicksburg in 1862 and describing the city of Memphis, where he was hospitalized in 1863. Henry speaks primarily of the Eastern front, including the siege of Savannah in 1864. Eli writes of the devastation in Alabama and how his only desire is to return home after witnessing the atrocities of war and the conditions in Camp Randall, where he was stationed in 1865. Throughout the letters all three frequently recall the things they love most of all about Wisconsin, including the leaves turning yellow and sledding through the snow at Christmas time. Two of the later letters were written by officers Wm. H Bennet and James H. Clifton telling the Wildermuths of the deaths of their sons John and Henry, respectively.