Beginning on today's date in 1863, the opposing sides reached a temporary truce for a couple of days in order to recover Federal soldiers who had been wounded in the Battle of Chickamauga. Gen. Braxton Bragg allowed a train of ambulances and hospital supplies to relieve thousands of wounded soldiers that were now under control of the Confederates. It was both a humane decision and also a way to shift the burden of care for the wounded to the Federal army at Chattanooga.
The truce also provided an opportunity for soldiers on both sides to meet and interact with their opponents. A general understanding soon spread throughout the lines that soldiers on picket wouldn't fire on their counterparts unless provoked into a fight. Common soldiers took the opportunity to trade for coffee and tobacco, share newspapers, and exchange information. Some even played games together.
Whatever the scene in the informal "neutral zone" along the lines, there was no truce between the artillery batteries of the opposing sides. Guns continued to roar back and forth, constantly reminding the soldiers of a looming battle.
Source: Mountains Touched With Fire, Wiley Sword
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