midnight
before
As they looked out or stepped upon the platform for a moment , while the train stood at the station , the loafers looked at them indifferently . Their blue coats , dusty and grimy , were too familiar now to excite notice , much less a friendly word . They were the last of the army to return , and the loafers were surfeited with such sights . The train jogged forward so slowly that it seemed likely to be midnight before they should reach La Crosse . The little squad grumbled and swore , but it was no use ; the train would not hurry , and , as a matter of fact , it was nearly two o'clock when the engine whistled `` down brakes . '' All of the group were farmers , living in districts several miles out of the town , and all were poor . `` Now , boys , '' said Private Smith , he of the fever and ague , `` we are landed in La Crosse in the night .