Harry, who had followed his general at the proper distance, never heard what they said, but he believed that they had discussed the possibility of a night attack and then had decided in the negative.
When Jackson returned to his own force the twilight was thickening into night, and as darkness sank down over the field the appalling fire of the Union artillery ceased.

Thirteen thousand dead or wounded Union soldiers had fallen, and the Southern loss was much less than half.
All of Harry's comrades and friends had escaped this battle uninjured, yet many of them believed that another battle would be fought on the morrow.

Harry, however, was not one of these.

He remembered some words that had been spoken by Jackson in his presence: "We can defeat the enemy here at Fredericksburg, but we cannot destroy him, because he will escape over his bridges, while we are unable to follow." Nevertheless the young men and boys were exultant.

They did not look so far ahead as Jackson, and they had never before won so great a victory with so little loss.