midnight
Before night the Union army had three bridges across the Rappahannock , and before morning it had six . The regiment that had crossed held the right bank of the river , that is , the side of the South , and the boats moved freely back and forth in the stream . Yet the main army itself did not yet begin the crossing . Harry slept a few hours before and after midnight , lying in the lee of a little ridge and wrapped in a pair of heavy blankets , but as he wakened from time to time he heard little from the river . There were no sounds to indicate that great streams of armed men with their cannon were pouring over the bridges . After the tremendous cannonade of the afternoon the night seemed very quiet and peaceful . Fires were burning here and there , but they were not many .