Chapter 6, March Summary

The cavalry, infantry, and artillery, lining up in that order, begin the battle march from Fort Leavenworth to Springfield, Missouri. Jeff's anxiety grows as the troops wait half an hour before moving. He thinks it is good to be moving aggressively into Missouri for a change instead of waiting for the bushwhackers to come across the border and hit them first. He is not prepared, however, for how aggressive the battle march itself turns out to be.

The regiment walks easily throughout each cool morning only to find that as the sun rises higher and higher, the group's collective exhilaration wanes. Walking becomes hard, sweaty work. The troops cover 20 to 25 miles per day, marching from dawn to dusk. A constant thirst for water consumes the men, and some of them lose their internal battle to balance their fluid consumption. They learn...