“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” by Ambrose Bierce, contains three distinct sections: a matter-of-fact opening scene, a flashback to provide some necessary history, and a jaw dropping conclusion. The story begins with an unidentified man being prepared to be hung by a company of Union soldiers on a railroad bridge that runs over a river. He is then identified as a man who attempted to destroy the very bridge they are standing on based on information he was given by a Federal scout posing as a Confederate soldier moments before. The story begins with clear, yet startling short sentences; “A man stood upon a railroad bridge in Northern Alabama, looking down into the swift waters twenty feet below. The man’s hands were behind his back, the wrists bound with a cord. A rope loosely encircled his neck. It was attached to a stout cross-timber above his head.” In the opening sentence, it becomes apparent that this man is about to be executed by members of the Union army. The preparations for the execution are described in baffling detail. The narrator seems to be a dispassionate spectator who is unfamiliar with any of the people in this grim event. The physical setting and movements of the Union company are rendered with such calm accuracy that the scene comes to life clearly and vividly. The condemned man is judged to be “about thirty-five years of age” and is “evidently” a southern “gentleman.” The second section discloses who the man is and what events lead him to his desperate predicament. His name is Peyton Farquhar, and he is a member of “an old and highly respected Alabama family.” Peyton, who was “ardently devoted to the Southern cause,” was eager to serve the South in any way possible. One evening, while he was sitting with his wife, a grey-clad soldier rode up, asked for water, and told them that the Northern army was preparing to advance once the bridge over Owl Creek had been repaired. The soldier