While mail was greatly desired on both fronts during the war, correspondence was often very difficult. Especially in the South, it was sometimes a challenge even to find paper and pen. Mail service was slow at best, and soldiers often relied on furloughed soldiers and visitors to camp to deliver their letters back to their homes. Time to write was often limited as well, as soldiers spent weeks at a time marching and fighting. Soldiers longed to receive letters from home, as they were starved for information about family, friends, and local events.
Many letters conclude with pleadings for quick replies and information.
Soldiers often wrote about what they wanted to hear, asking questions about particular family members or local issues. After long paragraphs asking questions and wondering about home, many letters would briefly state that there was not much news to report where they were. Letters, in addition to asking about events from home, contained detailed descriptions of what aspects of home the soldiers were missing. In a letter to his brother, A.W. Kersh writes at length about acquaintances from home that he has seen and any news that they have reported. Soldiers wrote about how much they would like to return home and see the people they love.