Question

Why is Peyton Farquhar not involved with the army in "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"?

Accepted Answer

The reason Peyton Farquhar is not a soldier, officer, or part of the army is not given.  The author says only that "circumstances of an imperious nature which it is unneccessary to relate here, had prevented him from taking service with the gallant army".  Apparently, there are significant reasons that Farquar is not a part of the military, but the reasons themselves are not important enough to be revealed and examined in the story.What is clear, however, is that Farquhar's sympathies are unquestioningly with the Confederacy in the Civil War.  As a slave owner, he is "an original secessionist and ardently devoted to the Southern cause".  Although he is prohibited by unnamed circumstances from joining up, he longs for "the larger life of the soldier, the opportunity for distinction".  He is "a civilian who (is) at heart a soldier" who will do what he can in whatever capacity to help the Southern cause, and it is because of this zeal that he finds himself in the predicament of imminent execution at the hands of the Union Army at Owl Creek Bridge.

Answer

The narrator tells us that Peyton Farquhar is a wealthy plantation owner who ardently supports the Confederate cause against the Union Army. Despite his affinity for the Confederacy and his devotion to the Southern cause, Peyton does not enlist in the Confederate Army. The only evidence that directly relates to Peyton's decision to not enlist in the Confederate Army is when the narrator mentions "Circumstances of an imperious nature, which is it unnecessary to relate here, had prevented him [Peyton] from taking service with that gallant army..." (Bierce, 2).
This comment suggests that Peyton Farquhar was too imperious, or arrogant and domineering, to enlist in the Confederate Army. Essentially, Peyton is a wealthy, arrogant man, who would not be inclined to take commands from a Confederate officer and be bossed around like a lowly commoner. The narrator does not want to elaborate on the circumstances of Peyton's "imperious nature" but the reader can infer that Peyton is too bossy and proud to take orders from a commanding officer. Despite Peyton's decision to not enlist, he fully supports the Southern cause and takes matters into his own hands when he attempts to blow up the Owl Creek Bridge to halt the Union advance.

Answer

We are led to believe that Peyton Farquar's services as a spy are needed more than his actual participation as an officer or soldier in the Confederate army. We do not know if Farquar has served in this capacity before; he may have performed such espionage previously. I have always found the appearance of the Union spy dressed in Confederate garb at Farquar's property interestingly suspicious. Did the Union spy just happen upon Farquar, or was he specifically ordered to seek him out? Could it be that the Union army had previous information concerning Farquar's activities? We know that Farquar desired to serve in the Confederate army:

... he chafed under the inglorious restraint, longing for the release of his energies, the larger life of the soldier, the opportunity for distinction.

He apparently believed that the espionage he hoped to perform would eventually lead to that goal.

That opportunity, he felt, would come, as it comes to all in wartime. Meanwhile he did what he could. No service was too humble for him to perform in the aid of the South, no adventure to perilous for him to undertake...

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Questions and Answers
by Ambrose Bierce

Why is Peyton Farquhar not involved with the army in "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"?

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