Harry, inured to war, understood the reasons for silence and lack of movement.  Grant had been drawn into a region that he did not like, where he could not use his superior numbers to advantage, and he must be shuddering at the huge losses he had suffered already.  He would seek better ground.  Lee too, was in no condition to take advantage of his successful defense.  The old days when he could send Jackson on a great turning movement, to fall with all the crushing impact of a surprise upon the Northern flank, were gone forever.  Stuart, the brilliant cavalryman, was there, but his men were not numerous enough, and, however brilliant, he was not Jackson.

The sun rose higher.  Midmorning came, and the two armies still lay close.  Harry grew stronger in his opinion that they would not fight again that day, although he watched, like the others, for any sign of movement in the Northern camp.

Noon came, and the same dead silence.  The fires had burned themselves out now and the dusk that had reigned over the Wilderness, before the battle, recovered its ground, thickened still further by the vast quantities of smoke still hanging low under a cloudy sky.  But the aspect of the Wilderness itself was more mournful than ever.  Coals smoldered in the burned areas, and now and then puffs of wind picked up the hot ashes and sent them in the faces of the soldiers.  Thickets and bushes had been cut down by bullets and cannon balls, and lay heaped together in tangled confusion.  Back of the lines, the surgeons, with aching backs, toiled over the wounded, as they had toiled through the night.

Harry saw nearly the whole Southern front.  The members of Lee’s staff were busy that day, carrying orders to all his generals to rectify their lines, and to be prepared, to the last detail, for another tremendous assault.  It was not until the afternoon that he was able to look up the Invincibles again.  The two colonels and the two lieutenants were doing well, and the colonels were happy.

“We’ve already been notified,” said Colonel Talbot, “that we’re to retain our organization as a regiment.  We’re to have about a hundred new men now, the fragments of destroyed regiments.  Of course, they won’t be like the veterans of the Invincibles, but a half-dozen battles like that of yesterday should lick them into shape.”

“I should think so,” said Harry.

“Do you believe that Grant is retreating?” asked Lieutenant-Colonel St. Hilaire.

“Our scouts don’t say so.”

“Then he is merely putting off the evil day.  The sooner he withdraws the more men he will save.  No Yankee general can ever get by General Lee.  Keep that in your mind, Harry Kenton.”

Harry was silent, but rejoicing to find that his friends would soon recover from their wounds, he went back to his place, and saw all the afternoon pass, without any movement indicating battle.

Night came again and the scouts reported to Lee that the Union army was breaking camp, evidently with the intention of getting out of the Wilderness and marching to Fredericksburg.  Harry was with the general when he received the news, and he saw him think over it long.  Other scouts brought in the same evidence.