about
midnight
General Mouton -LRB- Count von der Lobau -RRB- is going to fight his way to Meissen with twelve thousand men and four-and-twenty guns . He marches out this morning . ' After a good deal of discussion we at last adopted R. 's opinion that this attack , which , from the unceasing watchfulness of our friends outside , might very probably be disastrous to the enemy , would very likely force the Field Marshal to capitulate , and so put a period to our miseries . `` How , '' thought I , as I was going home about midnight , `` can R. have found out what the decision come to was almost at the very moment it was arrived at ? '' However , I was presently aware of a hollow , rumbling sound making itself audible through the deathly stillness of the night . Guns and ammunition waggons , well loaded up with forage , began passing slowly by me in the direction of the Elbe bridge . `` R. was right then , '' I had to say to myself .