"... a gray-clad soldier rode up to the gate and asked for a drink of water. ...
"Suppose a man--a civilian and student of hanging--should elude the picket post and perhaps get the better of the sentinel," said Farquhar, smiling, "what could he accomplish?"
The soldier reflected. "I was there a month ago," he replied. "I observed that the flood of last winter had lodged a great quantity of driftwood against the wooden pier at this end of the bridge. It is now dry and would burn like tow."
The lady had now brought the water, which the soldier drank. He thanked her ceremoniously, bowed to her husband and rode away. An hour later, after nightfall, he repassed the plantation, going northward in the direction from which he had come. He was a Federal scout." - End of Chapter 2
This passage really made me do a double take! So, Farquhar, a very ardent supporter of the confederate side, is eager to help the cause. He is, for some reason or other, unable to serve as a soldier in the confederate army and consoles himself by doing whatever he can as a civilian to help the South. When a 'confederate' soldier rides up and asks for a drink, Farquhar and his wife are only too happy to serve him. When the soldier tells Farquhar that the Owl Creek Bridge has been rebuilt, Farquhar sees an opportunity to slow the Union progress and help his beloved South. The soldier then tells Farquhar the best way to sneak up to the bridge and then leaves. But wait! After he is hidden by darkness he goes NORTH. And Bierce flat out tells us He was a Federal spy. So the spy set Farquhar up and must have had soldiers waiting to capture him. This Union spy is the reason for Farquhar getting hung in the first place. Since this little item goes on to be the plot of the entire book. I find that very interesting. What about you?
Okay this one will be shorter, (maybe). The other thing I find intriguing about this passage/story as a whole is the roles that Ambrose Bierce puts the Union and the Confederates in. He sets the Union army as "the bad guy" and has the central hero of the story a confederate loyalist. This gets even more complicated when you consider the fact that Farquhar knew the penalty for breaking the Union Edict and went any way. (Kinda seems like, at this point anyway, he values his cause more than his family. hmmm...) And the executioners are merely doing their job, excatly what they said they would do if anyone messed with the bridge. So I wonder... What was Bierce's reasons for setting the stage as he did? Was he trying to make a political point? Was he trying to help the North realize that the Southerners were people too? better people maybe? Or is there another agenda he was pushing? I am really curious about this and I would love to hear your feedback!
