As the regiment lurches forward towards the enemy, they seem driven by some super-human impulse. The red in Henry's features show that this madness is derived directly from the pressures of war. Somewhere in between the pressure from commanders and the pressure from the enemy lies this insanity, which makes the men speed forward towards firing guns. Their nerves are tested as they go. The guns fire yellow flame, the color again representing cowardice.
Fear of death causes feelings of self-consciousness and, in advanced cases, the desire to flee.
However, as they get closer, the enemy becomes less mysterious. They can make out the cannon and the men working feverishly at them. The Rebel army is beginning to take on more human form, as a group of men and not a force of war. However, the fear and the running cause the men to pause. As they pause, Henry becomes more self-conscious, wondering why he is actually here and fighting.