"The lady had now brought the water, which the soldier drank. He
thanked her ceremoniously, bowed to her husband and rode away. An
hour later, after nightfall, he repassed the plantation, going
northward in the direction from which he had come. He was a Federal
scout" (Chapter II)
This passage is the end of chapter II, which explains how Farquhar found himself in the state described at the beginning of the story. I found it significant because it has something to say about the nature of war.
Farquhar was a politician in some capacity, a strong advocate of southern succession, who wished for glory more than anything. Farquhar did everything he could think of in service to the Confederation during the war, applying the philosophy of "all's fair in love and war."
At some point, Farquhar's actions annoyed the Union army so much that a spy was sent to put an end to him. The scout knew enough about Farquhar to expect that he would ignore prudence and try to be a hero. In this assumption he was absolutely correct, allowing the Union army to execute Farquhar without the spy even blowing his cover.
