- Noah, Delphine, and Tilly have their picture made in Cairo right before Noah goes into battle.
- Dr. Hutchings joins the army as a captain and doctor.
- Noah and the rest of the Thirty-First Illinois regiment march and/or sail away to fight for control of the river, while Delphine, Tilly, and the rest of Cairo stay behind and wait.
- Finally, the steamships return, carrying the wounded of the Battle of Belmont.
- Dr. Hutchings finds Tilly and brings Noah to her.
- Noah is missing his left arm, which Dr. Hutchings amputated and dropped overboard.
- Because Noah will never be able to fight again, he is out of the army.
- Tilly and Delphine take him to Mrs. Hanrahan's to nurse him until he is well enough to travel.
- Tilly is afraid to send a letter home until she's sure Noah will live. Delphine tells her Calinda would not believe he's alive anyway, though, because she had a vision of a coffin coming up the river. You know, just in case we were starting to get comfortable.