True Loyalty

Mary Kate Ryser-Oatman

Ambrose Bierce, "An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge"

January 7, 2009

Journal #1

"No service was too humble for him to perform in aid of the South, no adventure too perilous for him to undertake if consistent with the character of a civilian who was at heart a soldier..." (Bierce 362).

Peyton Farquhar was a true Southerner. He was determined to help their cause during the Civil War, and since he was not a member of the Confederate Army, he felt it was his duty to help in any way that he could.

This quote stood out to me from the rest of the text because it really shows his loyalty to the South. Being a slave owner, he felt it was necessary to fight for this right, as it would be taken away by President Abraham Lincoln. I definitely do not agree with the character's view that owning slaves is acceptable. I suppose it is much different growing up in that time period in the South, and especially growing up in a family that owned slaves or being a slave owner.

This quote also gives insight as to what could have assisted in getting Farquhar into his terrible situation. Further down the page, readers learn that a Federal soldier had told him and his wife of some soldiers in the Union Army near the Owl Creek Bridge, and how they were preparing to advance. It is clear to me that Farquhar's loyalty to the South partly caused him to go near the bridge when the Union soldiers were there, leading to his capture and hanging.

While reading this part of the text as well as the rest of the passage, one of the first questions that I asked myself was, 'why is he not a soldier fighting in the Confederate Army?' This was not mentioned at all, and I am curious to know how Farquhar managed to get out of fighting. If he was so loyal to the South, so willing to help them in any way he could, what possibly would be able to prevent him from serving in the army? An illness, perhaps, but all other descriptions of Farquhar lead me to think that he is the right age and there seems to be nothing wrong with him.

If I had not read the introduction before the story, I would have guessed that Ambrose Bierce had been a member of the Confederate Army. According to Wikipedia, he was actually a member of the Union Army. The article went on to say that he had written many stories based off of the many things he had seen during the Civil War, and this story was one of them. That makes this story even more interesting, to know that Ambrose Bierce actually witnessed something similar and that it was not something he came up with.

This excerpt reminds me of the pride that many of us possess in reguards to our country. After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, our country came together. We were all reminded of what our country means to us, and many citizens showed their support and loyalty by enlisting in the military while others show their support for the troops. Like in the story, it is proven that in all times of trouble, citizens will show their loyalty to their country and help out in any way they can.