nearly midnight
They were also too tired to become excited , and in addition , they were of as stern stuff at night as they had been in the morning . They were ready to fight again . Formidable columns of troops appeared through the woods , their bayonets glistening in the moonlight . The heavy rifle fire began once more , although it was nearly midnight , and then came the deep thunder of cannon , sending round shot and shells among the Union troops . But the men in blue , harried beyond endurance , fought back fiercely . They shared the feelings of Pennington . They felt that they had been persecuted , that this thing had grown inhuman , and they used rifles and cannon with astonishing vigor and energy .