In this chapter, Crane shows Henry's instability as he goes from a state of euphoria after repelling the enemy's charge in the first battle to a state of total panic at the beginning of a second battle.
Henry can't understand how the enemy can possibly regroup to do battle again so quickly. Crane reveals Henry's confusion in these words, "He [Henry] waited, as if he expected the enemy to suddenly stop, apologize, and retire bowing. It was all a mistake." He can't imagine that his regiment could, or would, do such a thing, and he speculates that the enemy can't really be a group of individual men similar to the men in his regiment. His thoughts show his increasing fear of the enemy as Crane tells the reader that "He began to exaggerate the endurance, the skill, and the valor of those who were coming. Himself reeling from exhaustion, he was astonished beyond measure at such persistency. They must be machines of steel."
Henry's deteriorating physical condition — "His neck was quivering with nervous weakness and the muscles of his arms felt numb and bloodless" — foreshadows his eminent mental collapse. When the soldier next to him drops his rifle and runs, Henry's imagination takes total control over his reasoning ability, and he runs.
It is also interesting to note that Crane's characterizations of the Union officers are consistent and believable. The officers of all ranks don't panic; they are in control; they lead their troops and exhort their units to fight aggressively. For example, when the enemy begins its second offensive, the reader sees that "The lieutenant sprang forward bawling" (hollering at his troops to continue fighting). Henry is surprised at this officer's singular focus and courage.
