Part 2 Summary

The planter's name is Peyton Farquhar, from an old and highly respected Alabama family. Being a slave owner, he is also a secessionist and devoted to the Southern cause, although circumstances kept him from enlisting. Peyton longs for the distinction and honor of a soldier's life and does anything he can to further the cause.

One evening, while he and his wife are sitting on a bench outside their home, they are approached by a soldier in a grey uniform, who asks for a drink of water. Mrs. Farquhar is happy to oblige, and the two men engage in conversation about news from the front. The soldier tells him the Yanks are repairing the railroads in preparation for another advance. They have already reached the Owl Creek Bridge and have even built a stockade there. In addition, they have posted notices that any...