As the novel opens, the soldiers of a regiment are waiting for battle. After one of the men, a tall soldier, suggests that a battle is imminent, other soldiers argue against the notion. One of the young soldiers, Henry, a private, returns to the hut where the regiment is camped and thinks about war. He recalls his desire to enlist in the army, his mother's refusal to support the idea, and his eventual decision to enlist over her objections. He remembers the reactions of his schoolmates to his enlistment, his mother's advice to him when he leaves for the army, the reception given to his regiment as it moved toward Washington, the tedious waiting, and the frightening tales of war told by various veterans in the regiment. His mind struggles with the question of what he will do when — and if — an actual battle takes place.
As he contemplates the prospects of battle, "a little panic-fear" grows in his mind, and, suddenly, he jumps from his bunk and begins to pace the floor. Other soldiers enter the hut, and the discussion about the prospect of an impending battle continues. The tall soldier, Jim Conklin, who brings the news that a battle is certain, comments on how he expects the new soldiers to react and on how he himself will react under fire.
