midnight
That night he had little to do . It was a typical May night in Virginia , clear and beautiful with an air that would have been a tonic to the nerves , had it not been for the bitter smoke and odors that yet lingered from the battle of the Wilderness . Before dawn the scouts brought in a rumor that there was a heavy movement of Federal troops , although they did not know its meaning . It might portend another flank march by Grant , but a mist that had begun to rise after midnight hid much from them . The mist deepened into a fog , which made it harder for the Southern leaders to learn the meaning of the Northern movement . Just as the dawn was beginning to show a little through the fog , Hancock and Burnside , with many more generals , led a tremendous attack upon the Southern right center . They had come so silently through the thickets that for once the Southern leaders were surprised .