A young boy and his wealthy family live on a midsize farm in the Deep South. His father and older brother have gone off to fight for the Confederacy, leaving him at home with his mother, Sarah, and their twenty slaves. One day, the boy is playing in the front yard when he sees a group of blue-clad men coming up the road on horseback. He is struck by the brilliance of their uniforms until he realizes that they’re Yankee soldiers. He tears into the kitchen to warn his mother. Sarah remains calm and asks Amos, one of their slaves, to bring her her rifle. When the soldiers approach the fence, Sarah invites them in for dinner, which shocks her son. He makes a rude remark to the men, and his mother forces him to apologize. The cook, Lizzie, sets out bread and butter for the soldiers, and they break bread in the dining room. The little boy blurts that Amos doesn’t want to be free, to which the white adults respond sardonically. Noticing their grave expressions, the boy begins to cry, which shatters Sarah’s stoic facade. The leader of the brigade comments that the war is almost over and a Union victory is imminent. Sarah is relieved to know that her husband and son will soon be home. Once the men finish eating, they remount their horses. On their way out, the leader suggests that his son back home and the little boy can be pen pals. The men recede into the distance, and the boy resumes playing. Soon, he hears gunshots down the road. The Union soldier comes thundering back, dodging bullets from a legion of gray-coated Confederates. Sarah urges him to jump the fence and take refuge in their yard. In the process, the man takes a fatal fall off of his horse. Amos and Sarah take the man in their arms. The boy notes the now ashy-gray cloth of his uniform as a cloud of dust settles around his body. Sarah sends the boy to spend the next few days with his uncle. When he returns home, his father and brother are back. They stay inside mostly, because the streets are full of celebrating Union soldiers. Years later as an adult, Sarah’s son recalls this day.