Things didn't get off to a very good start when some French outposts, who nobody had thought to tell about the truce, fired on the party of Russian horsemen sent to put the tents up. The Russians retreated hastily, no doubt shouting suitable comments, came back, and were fired on again. Luckily the advance party of the allied conference entourage came on the scene and retrieved the situation. The negotiators went into the tents - Generals Martimprey and Windham and Colonel Count Petitti for the Allies, General Tsmacheff for the Russians - and their staffs mingled outside, exchanging pleasantries and souvenirs, smoking and drinking champagne. Unsurprisingly at a first encounter, both sides thought they had to haggle and no agreement was reached. Sticking points were access to the seas, and in particular the Allied demand that they should have access to South Sevastopol from the harbour to facilitate loading captured Russian stores.
Subsequent meetings dragged on without the deadlock being broken. 'I think Peace will be proclaimed before our stupid old armistice is settled' wrote Fred Dallas on 14th March. In fact the delay favoured the Allies - they went on blowing up Sevastopol, whereas the Russians totally ceased their gunfire. Finally the armistice was officially signed after the Allies were forced to concede over their harbour access.
The effect of the cessation of hostilities on the troops was somewhat muted. Obviously the French, still in the grip of their typhus epidemic, had little cause to celebrate. The large Irish contingent amongst the British made an effort to celebrate St Patrick's day, and green, if not shamrock a plausible substitute, was everywhere evident in headdress on 17th March. But generally there was a sullen reaction to the sudden quiet after the ever present risks and uncertainties of the past two years. What had been achieved, and had it been worth it? There was suddenly time to visit the graves of fallen comrades, and the improvement of the war graves became a major activity. And like all soldiers when given the opportunity to fraternise with their like in other armies, they delighted in meeting the Russians, conversing fluently in sign language, drinking from the same bottles, exchanging small coins, tobacco and food.
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