Chapter I Summary

There was a rumor passing through the encampment of Union soldiers, who began to tremble with eagerness; they would be going into battle tomorrow. A soldier had heard it from a friend, who heard it from a cavalryman, who had heard it from his brother who was an orderly at division headquarters. Reactions to the rumor were mixed. Some didn't believe it because they had been camped for so long. Some were anxious to go, anything to stop the boredom of staying in one place. However, there was one private who wanted to be alone with this news and his own thoughts of it.

Henry had imagined this day for quite awhile. He felt a little bit in awe of the fact that he would be engaged in possibly one of the most events of all time. As a boy, he...