about four in the
morning
He had insisted that morning that the uhlans that they sighted were some of Bazaine 's troops . Then darkness descended on the camp , black as ink , silent as death . Notwithstanding the coolness of the night air the men had not been permitted to make fires ; the Prussians were known to be only a few miles away , and it would not do to put them on the alert ; orders even were transmitted in a hushed voice . The officers had notified their men before retiring that the start would be made at about four in the morning , in order that they might have all the rest possible , and all had hastened to turn in and were sleeping greedily , forgetful of their troubles . Above the scattered camps the deep respiration of all those slumbering crowds , rising upon the stillness of the night , was like the long-drawn breathing of old Mother Earth . Suddenly a shot rang out in the darkness and aroused the sleepers . It was about three o'clock , and the obscurity was profound .