January 7th, soon after tattoo, the long roll sounded, and the men of the battery not on guard were ordered into the fort at double-quick and the troops on the right manned Batteries Nos. 9, 10, and 11. As our forces on the extreme right of the line, beyond the “Yellow House,” were heavily engaged with the enemy, our cannoneers remained at their guns till reveille.
Again on the 9th we were routed out at four o’clock in the morning by the sound of the long roll, caused by our pickets on the right of our lines being driven in by the enemy, and a sharp engagement followed. The rebels were finally driven back with a heavy loss. Our cannoneers, as usual, stood by their guns till morning.
While our forces were besieging Petersburg, the pickets of the two armies would frequently engage in conversation, and a colloquy like the following would take place:
“I say, Billy Yank?”
“What do you want, Johnny Reb?”
“Have you got any soft tack?”
“Yes,” replied the Yank. “Do you want to trade tobacco for soft tack?”
“Yes,” said the Reb.
“Lay down your gun, then,” says our Yankee soldier, “and we will trade with you.”
Then the pickets on either side would approach each other and exchange soft tack for tobacco, and other commodities. This illustrates the good feeling that existed between the men who perhaps a few hours before had been opposed to each other in deadly combat, and the war might possibly have been brought to a speedier termination if it had been left to the soldiers of the two contending armies to settle.