nine o'clock at night
The regiment in which Paul enlisted was ordered to Cairo , in Illinois , where it joined several others . When the men were enlisted , they expected to march at once upon the Rebels , but week after week passed by , spring became summer , and summer lengthened into autumn , and there was no movement of the troops . The ardor of their patriotism died out . It was a monotonous life , waking early in the morning to answer roll-call , to eat breakfast of salt pork and hard-tack , drilling by squads , by companies , by battalion , marching and countermarching , going through the same manoeuvres every day , shouldering , ordering , and presenting arms , making believe load and fire , standing on guard , putting out their lights at nine o'clock at night , -- doing all this , week after week , with the Rebels at Columbus , only twenty miles down the river . It was very irksome . Sometimes Paul 's heart went back to New Hope , as the dear old times came crowding upon him ; but he had learned to be patient . He knew that it was necessary for soldiers to become disciplined .