An anonymous officer who says of Henry's regiment that "they fight like a lot 'a mule drivers." Having just won their fight, Henry feels otherwise. These two difference shows how the meaning of battles and war are subject to different interpretations based on the perspective of the interpreter. From the officer's perspective, courageous individual efforts are insignificant parts of a larger strategy. From Henry's perspective, he (Henry) is a hero. The insulting officer also exposes Henry's motivations to fight—not for patriotic ideals, but to get his revenge and prove the officer dead wrong.