How does the author set up conflicts in the opening of March?

There are many conflicts that are brought out in Brooks'
novel.  Given the time period of the Civil War, this makes sense.  I think that the
first chapter, though, sets up an interesting conflict.  John March's letter opens the
novel and in this, one sees a potential conflict emerge within March, himself.  While he
promises to write every day and keep his wife informed, he also makes clear that he will
not tell her everything he experiences or sees in the war.  This helps to bring out a
conflict between March and the lengths to which he includes his wife into his
experience.  It reflects a conflict between how March wants to treat Marmee and how this
actually ends up materializing, reflect somewhat of a conflict.  Naturally, another
conflict present is that between March's ideals and the realities of war prompted by
idealism.  The bodies that are being piled up and collected in the first letter helps to
bring out how the passion and zeal of beliefs are fundamentally undermined by the human
cost of war.  The ideals that March holds carry with them a fundamental human cost,
which is revealed in the opening letter.