As the story goes....
On 1 July 1863, the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War, Confederate General John B. Gordon aided the badly wounded Union General Francis Barlow. Due to the severity of the wound, Gordon assumed Barlow did not survive it but did not actually know that Barlow did die from his wounds. In fact, Barlow recovered and survived many years after the Civil war. The two men met again after the war was over at dinner in Washington DC where there were introduced. An account of that later meeting was published in Gordon's book:
"Seated at Clarkson Potter's table, I asked Barlow: "General, are you related to the Barlow who was killed at Gettysburg?" He replied: "Why, I am the man, sir. Are you related to the Gordon who killed me?" "I am the man, sir," I responded. No words of mine can convey any conception of the emotions awakened by those startling announcements. Nothing short of an actual resurrection from the dead could have amazed either of us more. Thenceforward, until his untimely death in 1896, the friendship between us which was born amidst the thunders of Gettysburg was greatly cherished by both."
— John B. Gordon, Reminiscences of the Civil War
Brian