midnight
A thick veil of clouds overspread the heavens and hid the stars . Moon there was none , for the faint silver crescent that gleamed for a moment through the swift-sailing wisps of vapor had dropped beneath the horizon soon after tattoo , and the mournful strains of `` taps , '' borne on the rising wind , seemed to signal `` extinguish lights '' to the entire firmament as well as to Fort Sibley . There was a dance of some kind at the quarters of one of the staff-officers living far up the row on the southern terrace . Chester heard the laughter and chat as the young officers and their convoy of matrons and maids came tripping homeward after midnight . He was a crusty old bachelor , to use his own description , and rarely ventured into these scenes of social gayety , and , besides , he was officer of the day , and it was a theory he was fond of expounding to juniors that when on guard no soldier should permit himself to be drawn from the scene of his duties . With his books and his pipe Chester whiled away the lonely hours of the early night , and wondered if the wind would blow up a rain or disperse the clouds entirely . Towards one o'clock a light , bounding footstep approached his door , and the portal flew open as a trim-built young fellow with laughing eyes and an air of exuberant health and spirits came briskly in .