Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Task 4
In chapter 2, a Union scout tells Peyton about an opportunity to sabotage Owl Creek Bridge, including detailed information about security and the Union camp there. Why would he tell Peyton this? Was he just trying to keep his cover or secretly a Confederate sympathizer? Or was he baiting Peyton, and if so, why?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
In my opinion, the scout was baiting him. He figured that Peyton, a slave-holding man who was loyal to the Confederacy, would probably jump at the chance to do some damage to the Union army. Knowing that Peyton would undoubtedly get caught, the scout told him the information just to get him hanged.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion was basically the same as Hannah's. Call me a bad reader, but I was content to settle with the idea that the scout had told Peyton all this info because he was trying to make burning the bridge look like an easier feat. Not until you mentioned it did I think he was trying to make it look hard so Peyton wouldn't try. But the fact that he uses the word "only" when describing the bridge's security leaves my opinion that he was baiting him.
ReplyDeleteYes, I would concur with the two above opions; that he was trying to bait Peyton into damaging the bridge. It says, that since Peyton wasn't in the army, he would anything to help the Southern cause. The Federal scout might or might not have know this. If he did, he probably didn't need to worry wether or not it was 'to hard' for Peyton to at least try.
ReplyDeleteI sort of agree with the three comments above. I was wondering, what if the scout was just trying to find out who, from the south, would cause the most trouble. What if the scout was baiting Farquhar, but wasn't baiting him specifically? What if the scout was just baiting everyone in the south, then waiting to see who took the bait? Could that be a possible explanation?
ReplyDeleteOr maybe he was just a man and was being a total dummy who didn't think twice about sharing a secret with a Confederate man. Okay, kidding about the part about being a man.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with everyone else, though - I think he was probably baiting Farquhar. They were possibly trying to weed out all the Secessionists who would try to bring down their cause. In any case, no matter what the dude's motive was, he succeeded in defeating another Confederate.
Yes, i would have to say that i, also, agree with you all:) The Union spy was sent to Peyton to bait him
ReplyDeletein order to get him out of the Union's way. However, i'm not sure how Peyton's actions got the attention of the union so much so that they sent a spy directly to his house? I mean, he wasn't doing anything THAT outrageous...
I think the guy just stopped for water on his way through and decided to get a guy killed while he was there. Why not, ya know?
DeleteOh...glad we agree; It's going to go bad for the bub who even hints disagreement!
ReplyDeleteI suspect that Farquhar actually was specifically targeted by the Union scout. Farquhar is described as a politician, and while it is not clear whether Farquhar actually held office, he was certainly a respected citizen and probably something of a leader. During wartime, each side will naturally try to kill the leaders of the other side to destabilize them as much as possible.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't look like the scout was quite honest, either. Unless, of course, he simply forgot to mention the infantry company stationed at Owl Creek Bridge...
He probably wanted to make himself seem informed and a part of the confederacy. He also probably wanted to bait any man he came in contact with.
ReplyDeleteI thought he was for the northern side and the thing that puzzles me was while having the patriotic mind that he did. How did the scout know so much about the Union Army's bridge and it did not make Peyton question that?
ReplyDeleteI think the spy was baiting him. But then, I agree with Brianna, how could he attract so much attention? Maybe he did just stop for a drink of water.
ReplyDelete