Complex sentence: The night before a battle serene silence was all of a sudden broken when a Confederate soldier across the field began singing patriotic songs soon a second voice was heard, and a third, and a fourth soon both armies sang together in a spirit of common fellowship.
Split into simpler sentences: The night before a battle serene silence was all of a sudden broken when a Confederate soldier across the field began singing patriotic songs. Soon a second voice was heard, and a third, and a fourth soon both armies sang together in a spirit of common fellowship.