Ambrose Bierce established Peyton Farquhar as a sympathetic Confederacy supporter. In part II, a Confederate soldier visited Peyton’s plantation and discussed burning down the bridge and suggested that a civilian like Peyton should be the one to do it. After listening to the Confederate soldier, Peyton took it upon himself to proceed down to the bridge and accomplished the deed. The irony of the situation was that the Confederate soldier was actually a Federal scout. Therefore, the scout had lured Peyton to commit the crime. “An hour later, after nightfall, he repassed the plantation, going northward in the direction from which he had come. He was a Federal scout”. (511) Another characterization of Peyton Farquhar was that of a loving family
