Noon
Every minute of the first hour it seemed to Si and Shorty that they could not go a rod farther , but at the end of every rod they made an effort to go an other , and succeeded . The sun momentarily grew more burning , but also it seemed that every step brought them nearer the enemy , and the thought nerved them up to further exertion . Occasional rippling shots from watching parties of the rebel cavalry helped stimulate them . Noon passed . They were so near the works of Tullahoma that the collision might come at any minute could not be postponed many minutes . The regiments left the road and went into line-of-battle , stretching a long wave of blue through the deep green of the thick forests . How far it reached no one could tell .