Beyond the smoke, a brown swarm of men begins running down the hill. A general comes up on his horse, yelling to a colonel that the men have to hold them back. Henry sees the colonel regarding his men with resentment after the general gallops away. The captain of Henry's company coaxes the troops to reserve their fire and not shoot wildly.
Henry sweats out of pure nervousness.
The fight is about to begin. Before he himself is ready or even consciously decides, he lowers his rifle and fires the first shot of the battle. What it did then was blast loudly. The noise of the firing reassures Henry in a certain way. The furious haste and noise make the atmosphere even more confusing sweat blisters, his eyes are hot, and the blasts burn in his ears.