Vocabulary in An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

The flat wooden boards laid across the frame of a bridge to form the surface people walk or stand on; here it is the platform from which the condemned man is about to be dropped.

A loop of rope tied with a sliding knot so that it tightens around whatever is placed inside it; when used in a hanging, it is placed around the condemned person's neck.

Wood — branches, logs, or planks — that floats along a river or stream because it has been carried away by the current rather than placed there deliberately.

Moving very slowly and without energy or force; used here to describe a stream whose current seems almost still to the watching man.

A soldier posted to stand guard and watch for danger or unauthorized movement; essentially a sentry whose job is to keep watch over a specific spot.

The formal rules of correct behavior expected in a particular setting; in a military context, the precise ceremonial conduct that officers and soldiers are required to follow.

Broad and wide-ranging in what it permits or covers; here it means the military code applies to many categories of people, not just soldiers.

A specific rule or clause within a law or code that allows for or requires a particular action; here it means the military rules officially permit hanging civilians under certain conditions.

In the antebellum American South, a wealthy landowner who ran a large farm worked by enslaved people; the term signals high social and economic status in that society.

Intensely enthusiastic and passionate about a cause or belief; in this text it describes someone whose support for the Confederacy burns with deep emotional commitment.

Full of serious danger and risk; used here to describe missions or adventures that could easily result in injury, capture, or death.

A person who is not a member of the armed forces; in this story the word matters because it explains why Farquhar cannot officially enlist yet still feels bound to serve the Confederate cause.

Relating to the medieval code of knightly honor — bravery, loyalty, and gallantry — here applied to the romantic, idealized way Farquhar imagines soldierly duty and personal sacrifice.

Belonging to or acting on behalf of the Union (the northern United States government) during the Civil War, as opposed to the Confederate side; a Federal scout is a Union spy.

A soldier sent ahead or in disguise to gather information about the enemy's positions, strength, or plans; here the scout pretends to be a Confederate soldier to trick Farquhar.

To a degree that goes beyond what is normal or natural, as if something supernatural were at work; here it describes senses so sharp and vivid they exceed ordinary human experience.

Extremely sharp and highly sensitive; used here to describe senses — sight, hearing, touch — that are working at an almost superhuman level of intensity.

Spun or whirled rapidly in a circular or spiral motion; in the story it describes the violent rotating movement of Farquhar's body as he falls from the bridge into the water.

A regular back-and-forth or swinging movement; in this text it describes the pendulum-like swaying of the hanged body, though Farquhar imagines it as part of his fall through water.

Moved back and forth in a smooth arc while suspended from above; in the final sentence this word confirms the body is hanging from the bridge, not swimming to safety.

The large, heavy wooden beams that form the structural frame and supports of a bridge; the word emphasizes the solid, constructed nature of the bridge as opposed to the planking on top.