Christmas Truce on the Rappahannock: Billy Yank and Johnny Reb, 1862

I am reposting an article I originally wrote for this blog several years ago. After taking it down for a time, I’ve decided to share it again. The Christmas truce along the Rappahannock in 1862 has sometimes been overly romanticized, particularly as a reconciliationist narrative suggesting that soldiers on both sides were fundamentally the same. It’s important to recognize the profound differences in the causes they fought for. That said, the acts of kindness and goodwill exchanged during that Christmas remain deeply moving to me. These moments of humanity, however brief, stand out against the backdrop of a brutal conflict. Here is the story: