What was the campfires role in the US Civil War?

Answer 1

In addition to the more common purposes of campfires(providing heat and cooking food) sometimes the fires were used to deceive the enemy. One example was in 1863 when Lee's Army was camped around Fredericksburg,Va. The troops were ordered to begin their march to the North for the Gettysburg Campaign. The Union Army was camped just across the Rappahannock River. Lee ordered that some of the soldiers would be left at the campsites to keep the numerous fires burning so that it would appear at night to the Union soldiers that the Confederate Army was still camped there,while they were actually miles away heading into Northern territory.