The bulk of the collection is a series of letters from Lt. Francis Lawton Mobley to his wife, Rhoda Gaskins Mobley during his time of service in the Civil War. Lt. Mobley illustrates daily camp life for his wife and reports on his general health and well-being. In most letters he reports his current location and the various ailments afflicting the men in his regiment. The most common ailments mentioned were "Brain" fever, chills, measles, mumps, and diarrhea as well as battle field wounds. In two separate letters written in the summer of 1862 Mobley writes to his wife and predicts a swift conclusion to the war. Several letters include comments on various reports he has received from nearby regiments. Some of those reports include the death of General Sidney Johnson' the sighting of Yankees in a balloon near Ft. Jackson; Stonewall Jackson's victory in Winchester, Virginia; and fighting at Manassas on August 29-31, 1862. The final two letters written in 1862 were to Mrs. F. L. Mobley regarding the death of her husband. A letter dated October 14, 1862, was from a friend of her husband who attended to him at the time of his death. He communicates Lt. Mobley's final wishes and disposition of his personal property. The other letter dated October 17, 1862 was from a woman, Mary T. Magill, who nursed Lt. Mobley at the make shift hospital in Winchester, Virginia. Ms. Magill provides more details about his final days including his spiritual readiness to die.