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“Strange that we are so friendly at one time, when in the next moment we may be attempting to draw each other’s life’s blood.”
-Tally Simpson 3rd South Carolina Volunteers
“we could have settled the war in 30 minutes had it been left to us”
-Confederate solider after talking with union soldiers on Pickett duty
Something I love about the American civil war is what Sir Winston Churchill called “the last war between gentlemen.” Even though they were at war and trying to kill each other, they still held respect, honor and chivalry, in and out of battle. They also could be civil to each other even when in separate armies, it truly was a war between brothers. Here are some examples.
Picketing
“Were on the most friendly terms, amicably conversing and exchanging such composites as coffee, sugar, tobacco, cornmeal and newspapers. Bantering and joking together exchanging compliments of the day”
-Gilbert Hays of Pennsylvanian during the siege of St Petersburg
“pickets on both sides met surreptitiously to drink and play cards....Once men started talking on occasions such as these, they would often show each other family pictures and letters from their loved one back home.”
-Tenting Tonight The soldiers Life James Robertson
Picket lines were often posted for weeks, with both sides in close distance. This would often result in them playing cards, swimming, talking and trading coffee and tobacco. On the Rappahannock River soldiers would use toy sailboats to trade items with the other side across the river. Confederates played baseball and held boxing matches while northern solider cheered and made bets on the games. Once during the Atlanta campaign confederates were not able to dig trenches because of lack of shovels, the union men were kind enough to let them borrow theirs. There was a unwritten law, no one on either side was to be killed while going to the bathroom.
Once Confederate general Gordon suspected his men of meeting and talking with Yankees. When he went down to his men he heard a splash in the water as a Yankee went back towards his line. He yelled out and asked the Yankee if he knew there was a war going on, the Yankee replied yeah but “Not right hear not right know.” Gordon wanted to take him as prisoner but the men protested it, because it was against the honor code as the Yankee was thier invited guest.
“Sgt. Joseph T. Gibson of the 78th Pennsylvania Infantry explained that the pickets of the two armies stood 75 to 100 feet apart, and that “they were on the best of terms and conversed frequently on various subjects.” The Confederate pickets, low on rations, “always found the pickets on the Union line ready to fling a cracker across the little stream that separated them.”
“As his men were preparing to fire on a Confederate picket line, one Union officer ordered them to stand down, on the premise that it was “nothing but murder to kill a poor picket while on duty.” On another occasion, a Yankee general stood looking through his telescope at the enemy position, whereupon a rock sailed into the soldiers’ rifle pit. Around the rock was tied a note that read, “Tell the fellow with the spy glass to clear out or we shall have to shoot him.”
http://www.historynet.com/union-army
The Rev. J. William Jones, D.D., now chaplain-general of the United Confederate Veterans, when standing near this same point had his hat carried away by a gust of wind, and it fell near the Union lines. The loss of a hat meant the loss to the chaplain of nearly a month's pay. He turned away sorrowfully, not knowing how he could get another. A heroic young private, George Haner of Virginia, said to him: "Chaplain, I will get your hat." Taking a pole in his hand, he crawled along the ditch which led to our picket-line, and began to drag the hat in with his pole. At this moment a Yankee bullet went through the sleeve of his jacket. He at once shouted to the Union picket: "Hello, Yank; quit your foolishness. I am doing no harm. I am just trying to get the chaplain's hat." Immediately the reply came: "All right, Johnny; I'll not shoot at you any more. But you 'd better hurry up and get it before the next relief comes."
In Vicksburg, Miss., according to a New York Times correspondent writing on April 19, 1863, though “the principal occurrence of the last week or so has been the daily exchange of courtesies, under the name of flag of truce, between the Unionists and rebels” regarding the business of exchanging prisoners, “the real object amounts to little more than an exchange of newspapers, and an endeavor on the part of thirsty rebel officers to obtain a supply of National whiskey.” Amid reports of pillage and rape, the correspondent noted: “Each [Union] boat that goes down takes a demijohn of Bourbon, which is freely dispensed to the gray-coated deputation that meets us at the Point.”Later in the same city, on May 25, when the smell of decaying bodies became too ghastly, regiments from both sides were called together to start digging, mingling freely with friends, relatives and hometown chums for two-and-a-half hours under officers’ watchful eye.
During the siege in Atlanta soldiers from both sides picked blackberries from the same bush while singing duels would brake out. Two unarmed confederates of the 12th Georgia carrying a wounded man to the hospital, stumbled upon a federal Pickett. Instead of demanding their surrender, the federals directed both men back towards their own lines. At Petersburg union pickets warned their rebel friends of the coming attack to give them time to get out before it came.
“In Williamsburg Virginia in the spring of 62, Union officer George Custer served as the best man at the wedding of a west point classmate, a prisoner of the federals. Custer wore the blue dress uniform of a federal army captain, the bridegroom appeared in the gray dress uniform of a confederate army captain”
-Tenting Tonight The soldiers Life James Robertson
A family testimony
“He was at Vicksburg, according to what he told her, and fell asleep on nightime sentry duty. He got woken up by someone poking him in the ribs with a bayonet. He looked up and it was a Rebel soldier who simply said, " Better stay awake Yank!" and walked away. She also said he turned, came back briefly, and asked her brother, now WIDE awake, if he had any coffee. He said no and the Reb walked away”
Fraternization stories.
Honor in battle
“For gods sake, stop firing! You are killing your own men”
-Confederate solider to union infantry at Bull Run
who told his commander The second was when a union solider holding the regimental flag advanced across a field with his regiment marching to the beat of the drums. After some fighting he just kept marching to the position to be taken. After awhile he noticed the confederates stopped shooting, he looked around and saw none of his regiment was with him ,they had fallen back. So he turned looked to the confederates who had stopped firing, saluted them, and did a 180 marching while holding the flag back towards his position. The Confederates let out a load roar of applause.
At Fredircksburg the famed Irish brigade led a valiant charge against the entrenched confederate line. The men fought so brave and so hard that the entire miles long confederate line let out a loud cheer for the efforts of the Irish brigade. General Robert E Lee who commanded the premier army of the south ,said he had never seen men fight so brave.
John B. Gordon tells the story of preparations for the surprise attack on Fort Stedman at Petersburg, VA. During the night Confederate soldiers had advanced into a cornfield between the lines to clear obstructions when they heard a Union picket call, "What are you doing over there, Johnny? Answer quick, or I'll shoot." A quick-thinking Rebel answered, "Never mind, Yank! Lie down and go to sleep. We are just gathering a little corn."All right, Johnny; go ahead and get your corn. I'll not shoot at you while you are drawing your rations." The preparations for the surprise assault being completed, General Gordon ordered that the signal gun be fired to start the charge. The soldier raised his gun but hesitated to fire. His sense of honor and fair play caused him to shout:"Hello, Yank! Wake up. Look out, we are coming!" He then fired the signal and the assault began.
A Union officer was using a spy glass to view the confederate position. Soon a rock with a message around it fell in the rifle pit of the officer. The paper read “Tell the fellow with the spy glass to clear out or we shall have to shoot him”.
During trench fighting around Atlanta union soldiers held there fire while brave confederates jumped over there works to save their wounded comrades, and let out a loud cheer.
After intense fighting and the union command repulsed, Federals crossed lines and received autographs during a cease fire of general Cheatham for his defensive action at the “dead angel.”
During the battle at cedar mountain when confederate general Jackson showed great leadership and bravery Union soldiers cheered Jackson's bravery on. One federal prisoner yelled “Hurrah for general Jackson follow your general boys” the prisoner was than released back to union lines.
At fredrickburg 19 year old Richard Kirkland of the 2nd south Carolina infantry risked his life by jumping over the wall at Marye's Heights to bring suffering federal solders water. Despite his commander telling him “Kirkland, dont you know would get a bullet through your head the moment you step over the wall” his reply was “Yes sir, I know that. But if you let me, I am willing to try.”
War between brothers
“They forget that they are enemies and a kind of chivalric honor and courtesy are strictly observed,” meeting “in so friendly a way that one would have thought they were the best and most loving neighbors in the world,” according to The Soldiers’ Journal of Oct. 5, 1864.”
- military historian Ed Bearss.
Because of the close kinship of west point graduates, when confederate general Pickett's wife had a baby. The confederate line lit barn fires in celebration. when word spread to the union lines they as well lit fires and multiple officers sent over letters of congratulations to general Pickett.When general Grant herd his old freiend Beauregard had a son he had his men fire off a salute and sent a gift of silverware across the lines.
After the war At the funeral of confederate general Wilcox, four union and four confederate held his casket.
On 19 February, a funeral service was held at his home, followed by a military procession. General Joseph E. Johnston, the Confederate officer who had commanded the resistance to Sherman's troops in Georgia and the Carolinas, served as a pallbearer in New York City. It was a bitterly cold day and a friend of Johnston, fearing that the general might become ill, asked him to put on his hat. Johnston famously replied: "If I were in [Sherman's] place, and he were standing in mine, he would not put on his hat." Johnston did catch a serious cold and died one month later of pneumonia.
William Tecumseh Sherman - Wikipedia
Sniper
In the book rifled musket reality and myth Earl Hess tells of a account of a union solider who was shot at by a long range confederate sniper trying his luck, the bullet flew 20 yards above the union solider into the trees above. The union solider pointed up to the top of the trees to let the sniper know were the bullet went, than tipped his hat “So he would know I did not take it personally” and rode away.
Ft Sumter
At Fort Sumter the union soldiers in the fort knew they could not hit the rebel guns on land as they knew the guns were made for incoming ships in the bay. But after coming under fire they felt they needed to do something so they fired back anyways, this lead to cheers from the confederates for their efforts. Confederate artillery started a fire in ft Sumter, confederates than offered a cease fire to help the federals put out the fire. Than In celebration of the confederate capture of ft Sumter. Confederate Roger Pryor would have been the first causality of the war from drinking what he thought was alcohol, that turned out to be poison. Yet his life was saved by the union medic within fort Sumter. After the surrender of fort Sumter the union soldiers were allowed a small ceremony and to salute the American flag as it came down. They were allowed to march out on their own to a flotilla they took them back up north. The confederates stood on the shore with caps in hand out of respect.
-Tally Simpson 3rd South Carolina Volunteers
“we could have settled the war in 30 minutes had it been left to us”
-Confederate solider after talking with union soldiers on Pickett duty
Something I love about the American civil war is what Sir Winston Churchill called “the last war between gentlemen.” Even though they were at war and trying to kill each other, they still held respect, honor and chivalry, in and out of battle. They also could be civil to each other even when in separate armies, it truly was a war between brothers. Here are some examples.
Picketing
“Were on the most friendly terms, amicably conversing and exchanging such composites as coffee, sugar, tobacco, cornmeal and newspapers. Bantering and joking together exchanging compliments of the day”
-Gilbert Hays of Pennsylvanian during the siege of St Petersburg
“pickets on both sides met surreptitiously to drink and play cards....Once men started talking on occasions such as these, they would often show each other family pictures and letters from their loved one back home.”
-Tenting Tonight The soldiers Life James Robertson
Picket lines were often posted for weeks, with both sides in close distance. This would often result in them playing cards, swimming, talking and trading coffee and tobacco. On the Rappahannock River soldiers would use toy sailboats to trade items with the other side across the river. Confederates played baseball and held boxing matches while northern solider cheered and made bets on the games. Once during the Atlanta campaign confederates were not able to dig trenches because of lack of shovels, the union men were kind enough to let them borrow theirs. There was a unwritten law, no one on either side was to be killed while going to the bathroom.
Once Confederate general Gordon suspected his men of meeting and talking with Yankees. When he went down to his men he heard a splash in the water as a Yankee went back towards his line. He yelled out and asked the Yankee if he knew there was a war going on, the Yankee replied yeah but “Not right hear not right know.” Gordon wanted to take him as prisoner but the men protested it, because it was against the honor code as the Yankee was thier invited guest.
“Sgt. Joseph T. Gibson of the 78th Pennsylvania Infantry explained that the pickets of the two armies stood 75 to 100 feet apart, and that “they were on the best of terms and conversed frequently on various subjects.” The Confederate pickets, low on rations, “always found the pickets on the Union line ready to fling a cracker across the little stream that separated them.”
“As his men were preparing to fire on a Confederate picket line, one Union officer ordered them to stand down, on the premise that it was “nothing but murder to kill a poor picket while on duty.” On another occasion, a Yankee general stood looking through his telescope at the enemy position, whereupon a rock sailed into the soldiers’ rifle pit. Around the rock was tied a note that read, “Tell the fellow with the spy glass to clear out or we shall have to shoot him.”
http://www.historynet.com/union-army
The Rev. J. William Jones, D.D., now chaplain-general of the United Confederate Veterans, when standing near this same point had his hat carried away by a gust of wind, and it fell near the Union lines. The loss of a hat meant the loss to the chaplain of nearly a month's pay. He turned away sorrowfully, not knowing how he could get another. A heroic young private, George Haner of Virginia, said to him: "Chaplain, I will get your hat." Taking a pole in his hand, he crawled along the ditch which led to our picket-line, and began to drag the hat in with his pole. At this moment a Yankee bullet went through the sleeve of his jacket. He at once shouted to the Union picket: "Hello, Yank; quit your foolishness. I am doing no harm. I am just trying to get the chaplain's hat." Immediately the reply came: "All right, Johnny; I'll not shoot at you any more. But you 'd better hurry up and get it before the next relief comes."
In Vicksburg, Miss., according to a New York Times correspondent writing on April 19, 1863, though “the principal occurrence of the last week or so has been the daily exchange of courtesies, under the name of flag of truce, between the Unionists and rebels” regarding the business of exchanging prisoners, “the real object amounts to little more than an exchange of newspapers, and an endeavor on the part of thirsty rebel officers to obtain a supply of National whiskey.” Amid reports of pillage and rape, the correspondent noted: “Each [Union] boat that goes down takes a demijohn of Bourbon, which is freely dispensed to the gray-coated deputation that meets us at the Point.”Later in the same city, on May 25, when the smell of decaying bodies became too ghastly, regiments from both sides were called together to start digging, mingling freely with friends, relatives and hometown chums for two-and-a-half hours under officers’ watchful eye.
During the siege in Atlanta soldiers from both sides picked blackberries from the same bush while singing duels would brake out. Two unarmed confederates of the 12th Georgia carrying a wounded man to the hospital, stumbled upon a federal Pickett. Instead of demanding their surrender, the federals directed both men back towards their own lines. At Petersburg union pickets warned their rebel friends of the coming attack to give them time to get out before it came.
“In Williamsburg Virginia in the spring of 62, Union officer George Custer served as the best man at the wedding of a west point classmate, a prisoner of the federals. Custer wore the blue dress uniform of a federal army captain, the bridegroom appeared in the gray dress uniform of a confederate army captain”
-Tenting Tonight The soldiers Life James Robertson
A family testimony
“He was at Vicksburg, according to what he told her, and fell asleep on nightime sentry duty. He got woken up by someone poking him in the ribs with a bayonet. He looked up and it was a Rebel soldier who simply said, " Better stay awake Yank!" and walked away. She also said he turned, came back briefly, and asked her brother, now WIDE awake, if he had any coffee. He said no and the Reb walked away”
Fraternization stories.
Honor in battle
“For gods sake, stop firing! You are killing your own men”
-Confederate solider to union infantry at Bull Run
who told his commander The second was when a union solider holding the regimental flag advanced across a field with his regiment marching to the beat of the drums. After some fighting he just kept marching to the position to be taken. After awhile he noticed the confederates stopped shooting, he looked around and saw none of his regiment was with him ,they had fallen back. So he turned looked to the confederates who had stopped firing, saluted them, and did a 180 marching while holding the flag back towards his position. The Confederates let out a load roar of applause.
At Fredircksburg the famed Irish brigade led a valiant charge against the entrenched confederate line. The men fought so brave and so hard that the entire miles long confederate line let out a loud cheer for the efforts of the Irish brigade. General Robert E Lee who commanded the premier army of the south ,said he had never seen men fight so brave.
John B. Gordon tells the story of preparations for the surprise attack on Fort Stedman at Petersburg, VA. During the night Confederate soldiers had advanced into a cornfield between the lines to clear obstructions when they heard a Union picket call, "What are you doing over there, Johnny? Answer quick, or I'll shoot." A quick-thinking Rebel answered, "Never mind, Yank! Lie down and go to sleep. We are just gathering a little corn."All right, Johnny; go ahead and get your corn. I'll not shoot at you while you are drawing your rations." The preparations for the surprise assault being completed, General Gordon ordered that the signal gun be fired to start the charge. The soldier raised his gun but hesitated to fire. His sense of honor and fair play caused him to shout:"Hello, Yank! Wake up. Look out, we are coming!" He then fired the signal and the assault began.
A Union officer was using a spy glass to view the confederate position. Soon a rock with a message around it fell in the rifle pit of the officer. The paper read “Tell the fellow with the spy glass to clear out or we shall have to shoot him”.
During trench fighting around Atlanta union soldiers held there fire while brave confederates jumped over there works to save their wounded comrades, and let out a loud cheer.
After intense fighting and the union command repulsed, Federals crossed lines and received autographs during a cease fire of general Cheatham for his defensive action at the “dead angel.”
During the battle at cedar mountain when confederate general Jackson showed great leadership and bravery Union soldiers cheered Jackson's bravery on. One federal prisoner yelled “Hurrah for general Jackson follow your general boys” the prisoner was than released back to union lines.
At fredrickburg 19 year old Richard Kirkland of the 2nd south Carolina infantry risked his life by jumping over the wall at Marye's Heights to bring suffering federal solders water. Despite his commander telling him “Kirkland, dont you know would get a bullet through your head the moment you step over the wall” his reply was “Yes sir, I know that. But if you let me, I am willing to try.”
War between brothers
“They forget that they are enemies and a kind of chivalric honor and courtesy are strictly observed,” meeting “in so friendly a way that one would have thought they were the best and most loving neighbors in the world,” according to The Soldiers’ Journal of Oct. 5, 1864.”
- military historian Ed Bearss.
Because of the close kinship of west point graduates, when confederate general Pickett's wife had a baby. The confederate line lit barn fires in celebration. when word spread to the union lines they as well lit fires and multiple officers sent over letters of congratulations to general Pickett.When general Grant herd his old freiend Beauregard had a son he had his men fire off a salute and sent a gift of silverware across the lines.
After the war At the funeral of confederate general Wilcox, four union and four confederate held his casket.
On 19 February, a funeral service was held at his home, followed by a military procession. General Joseph E. Johnston, the Confederate officer who had commanded the resistance to Sherman's troops in Georgia and the Carolinas, served as a pallbearer in New York City. It was a bitterly cold day and a friend of Johnston, fearing that the general might become ill, asked him to put on his hat. Johnston famously replied: "If I were in [Sherman's] place, and he were standing in mine, he would not put on his hat." Johnston did catch a serious cold and died one month later of pneumonia.
William Tecumseh Sherman - Wikipedia
Sniper
In the book rifled musket reality and myth Earl Hess tells of a account of a union solider who was shot at by a long range confederate sniper trying his luck, the bullet flew 20 yards above the union solider into the trees above. The union solider pointed up to the top of the trees to let the sniper know were the bullet went, than tipped his hat “So he would know I did not take it personally” and rode away.
Ft Sumter
At Fort Sumter the union soldiers in the fort knew they could not hit the rebel guns on land as they knew the guns were made for incoming ships in the bay. But after coming under fire they felt they needed to do something so they fired back anyways, this lead to cheers from the confederates for their efforts. Confederate artillery started a fire in ft Sumter, confederates than offered a cease fire to help the federals put out the fire. Than In celebration of the confederate capture of ft Sumter. Confederate Roger Pryor would have been the first causality of the war from drinking what he thought was alcohol, that turned out to be poison. Yet his life was saved by the union medic within fort Sumter. After the surrender of fort Sumter the union soldiers were allowed a small ceremony and to salute the American flag as it came down. They were allowed to march out on their own to a flotilla they took them back up north. The confederates stood on the shore with caps in hand out of respect.