midnight
The sinister shadows that oppressed him melted away and he saw only the ordinary darkness of a summer night . The two sat side by side . Dalton perhaps drew as much strength as Harry from the comradeship , and they watched other messengers arrive with dispatches , some of whom rolled themselves in their blankets at once , and went to sleep , although three , who had evidently slept in the day , joined Harry and Dalton in their vigil . Harry saw that the commander-in-chief was holding a council at that hour , nearer morning than midnight . A general kicked some of the pieces of burned wood together and fanned them into a light flame , enough to take away the slight chill that was coming with the morning . The men stood around it , and talked a long time , although it seemed to Harry that Lee said least . Nevertheless his tall figure dominated them all .