Chapter V Summary

While he waited, Henry thought that it felt like waiting for a parade to start when the circus had come to his village. A thousand colors swirled in his mind until someone cried out that the enemy was coming. The regiment readied themselves and their cartridges and watched as the brown wave of Confederate soldiers washed toward them. Henry had a moment of panic that his gun wasn't loaded; he couldn't remember doing it. Sweat rolled down his face and he wiped his eyes with his coat sleeve so that he could see ahead of him.

Then the Rebels were upon them. Henry began the process of shooting and reloading so methodically that he was like a machine, not a man. He was filled with a rage that made him want to rush forward and strangle with his bare hands. His...