Communication between opposing armies

[KianGaf]

I wondering if anyone could explain how the opposing armies communicated during the ACW. Was there a procedure or protocol in place. How did messengers not get killed by pickets etc ?

 

[Stryker65]

White flag . Tie a shirt to a stick and wave it around.

Or, the ever-more-common:
"Hey, Yank/Reb, don't shoot!"

Afterwards, an officer would cross the lines with the flag and whatever message he was carrying. He would be taken to the nearest command post, and his message forwarded up the chain of command to the general commanding. While the truce officer swapped cigars and newspapers with the enemy soldiers watching him, the general would then write a response that would filter back down to the truce officer. The officer would then take the message and, waving his flag, make his way back across the lines.

At this time, of course, there was the famous camaraderie between pickets that never went away however much officers on both sides tried, so it was pretty easy to start truces, whether formal or informal.

 

[Dan Kohli]

There was procedures for pickets and sentinels for receiving men under a white flag in the Regulations. It should be the article on campaigns, if I remember correctly.

 

[Stryker65]

There was procedures for pickets and sentinels for receiving men under a white flag in the Regulations. It should be the article on campaigns, if I remember correctly.

Was the no-fraternization rule in the Regulations as well? Just wondering...because technically it could be described as "going over to the enemy"...

 

[dfostermem]

"Going over to enemy" would require supporting the enemy cause, usually by joining them or aiding them. I think the common heritage and language helped. There was an element of european chivalry that we might be at war but we will fight in a "civilized" way. Also, in general they were coming from common religious background. For the CW overall there was not a hatred for the enemy, after all he could be your brother or cousin, and definitely your 2nd or 3rd cousin.

As to the Flag of Truce, during times when they were not engaged in battle, which was most if the time, it probably was viewed as a change and welcomed. Sometimes there was important discussions that needed to be communicated such as dealing with dead and prisoner exchanges. I've read references to communications related to treatment of the locals. Then there were personal requests to allow personnel to pass through lines for various reasons. There seems to have been an almost constant flow of letters, money, and goods going back and forth on a small scale, at least within the West. Some of it was probably due to the porous nature of the lines but also a lot if scratching each others backs.

Sometimes it was taken advantage of. Gen Dodge states he had an officer who would use the Flag of Truce to "see the General" and would scout them out on the way. I believe that the Union might changed their regulations during the war but at some point it was established that they were to hold the bearer of the Flag and have them face away from the Union lines while waiting on the response. So even chivalry had its limits.

 

[Dan Kohli]

Articles 57, of the Articles of war, comes to mind right now. I'll try to look through the rest of the U.S. Army Regulations and Articles of War sections that might be relevant.

 

[KianGaf]

Articles 57, of the Articles of war, comes to mind right now. I'll try to look through the rest of the U.S. Army Regulations and Articles of War sections that might be relevant.

Can the articles of war be found online.

 

[Dan Kohli]

Can the articles of war be found online.

The Articles of War can be found as an appendix in the 1861 Regulations, unfortunately I am unaware of any stand alone copy of the Articles of War. I am aware of a couple copies of the regulations though.

https://www.11thovc.com/_files/ugd/0d3674_a7e008b9c9234cd3988fd599a585b895.pdf

Revised Regulations for the Army of the United States, 1861

books.google.com

Revised United States Army Regulations of 1861

books.google.com

 

[13 IL Cav & 64 GA Inf]

White flag . Tie a shirt to a stick and wave it around.

Or, the ever-more-common:
"Hey, Yank/Reb, don't shoot!"

Afterwards, an officer would cross the lines with the flag and whatever message he was carrying. He would be taken to the nearest command post, and his message forwarded up the chain of command to the general commanding. While the truce officer swapped cigars and newspapers with the enemy soldiers watching him, the general would then write a response that would filter back down to the truce officer. The officer would then take the message and, waving his flag, make his way back across the lines.

At this time, of course, there was the famous camaraderie between pickets that never went away however much officers on both sides tried, so it was pretty easy to start truces, whether formal or informal.

Good explanation, @Stryker65.

 

[Tom Elmore]

An example from Gettysburg:

On July 3, after the repulse of the afternoon attack against Cemetery Ridge, General Meade was near the copse with Battery B, 1st New York when he noticed a white flag near the Codori house. "There is a white flag over there" and told two staff officers to "Go over and see what was wanted." They met a Confederate officer with the flag of truce about half-way. They blindfolded him and brought him to Gen. Meade. I was sitting about 10-15 feet from the General, and heard what was said: "Well, what do you want?" "I present the compliments of the commanding General of the Confederate forces, asking an armistice of three hours to bury our dead." Meade's face showed intense anger, and he answered sharply: "You go and tell the man who sent you here to go to ----. When I bury my dead, I will bury his. You can't come Antietam over me." With that, Meade and his staff rode away, and the rebel was led back to the Emmitsburg road and there was no truce that day. (Elbert Corbin, National Tribune, June 2, 1910, p. 2)

Are we to infer from Meade's reference to Antietam that a truce was used by the Confederates there to attain a military advantage? Interesting, because at Gettysburg, it appears Lee was very concerned about a Federal counterattack against his weakened center following the repulse of Pickett/Pettigrew/Trimble, and a three-hour truce would have ended as darkness was descending, so Meade had a point.

 

[John Hartwell]

A Flag of Truce, before Petersburg, June 19,1864 | Soldier's Tales

Lt. Col. Theodore Lyman was an officer on the staff of Major General George Meade from 1863-65. Among his letters is an interesting and informative account of a flag of truce sent out to request a cease-fire so that wounded soldiers could be safely removed from the battlefield. The incident...

civilwartalk.com

 

[dfostermem]

Forrest was concerned the Federal commander was trying to delay his response to the Flag of Truce at Ft Pillow where Forrest tried to get them to surrender. There are other details with that incident associated with the Flag of Truce process. There were concerns when Forrest approached during the process that he was violating the Flag of Truce, also concerns about violation because the Flag of Truce party might have come too close. From my perspective there are two different but similar aspects. One is the Flag of Truce occurring just before, during, and immediately after a battle which to me would be much more difficult. I don't think these would have any of the social pleasantries like sharing cigars, drinks, or newspapers. The second type of Flag of Truce, which probably was much more common but rarely reported on, is that normal communication that occurred between the two sides in between the engagements. This second type is interesting to me because it suggests that there was a rather civil interaction between the two sides, even when at war.

 

[dfostermem]

This is not associated with the Flag of Truce but this is is something that is associated with communications. Below is from the papers of Sam Henderson who was a LT in Henderson's Scouts. It is a telegram sent from him to his wife in Sept 1864 from Memphis to his wife in Alabama. I'm pretty sure Memphis was in Federal hands at the time so unless Forrest dropped it off at the telegraph office during his raid the month prior I can't figure it out. I may be missing something but Sam Henderson shouldn't have been in Memphis when this is dated.

I guess this could have been a case of using the paper to write a note sent by another method but it looks legit to me.