As Henry waits for his regiment to enter the battle, he thinks about earlier days and people he has known. His thoughts are interrupted by the words, “Here they come!” The enemy initiates its charge, and the battle rages as Henry’s regiment tries to repel the enemy forces. Henry becomes a member of a fighting team, and he shows great strength and resolve as he loads, fires, and reloads his rifle—even while others are being wounded and killed around him. The officers encourage all the troops to keep firing, and they reprimand those whose fear overcomes them. Henry doesn’t apparently suffer from these fears. He continues to fire and reload, to fire and reload—even wishing that he could do so faster. Then the fighting stops, and the enemy retreats. The regiment holds its ground, and the soldiers are jubilant. Henry suddenly feels suffocated by the smoke, by the event. He takes a drink from his canteen to clear his head.
As Henry surveys the field, he realizes that other battles are continuing even as he rests. He recognizes that his regiment’s “battle” was but one small skirmish in a whole series of conflicts. He is encouraged by the beauty of the flags blowing in the wind, and he marvels at the brightness of the sky and land even in the midst of the smoke and chaos.
