Jackie’s main job on his family’s Connecticut farm during haying season is to bring the workers food. He has grown close to Mr. Hardy, who was a soldier in the Civil War, just like Jackie’s father. Jackie loves listening to Mr. Hardy’s war stories, though his employment at the farm is considered odd in certain ways. By New England tradition, workers would usually have to be successful in some way, but Mr. Hardy is rather poor and unfortunate. However, he works hard and is a good person. Jackie believes Mr. Hardy to be the humblest man he’s ever known, refusing his military pension for hard work and having earned the Medal of Honor during the war. Mr. Hardy has even been seriously injured but keeps laboring like the other farm workers.

One day, Jackie arrives with Mr. Hardy’s meal as the old man is resting under the shade of an oak tree. Strangely, Mr. Hardy says he has no urge to eat. He remarks that the oak tree above him is much like the one in Chancellorsville. Confused, Jackie tells Mr. Hardy that’s he’s never heard the story of Chancellorsville before. Mr. Hardy concedes that he’s never told anyone about it, but he makes an exception for Jackie due to his young mind. He explains that his company was outnumbered in the battle. His captain and lieutenant were twin brothers, and before the battle, their father asked Mr. Hardy to watch over them. During the battle, Mr. Hardy’s captain was killed. Mr. Hardy laid him down under an oak tree and heard his captain attempt to say something about a woman named Elizabeth, but he died. Then, Mr. Hardy’s lieutenant was shot in the knee. Though the lieutenant protested that Mr. Hardy left his brother behind and that he was forcing him to retreat, Mr. Hardy carried the lieutenant to the surgeons for amputation.

Mr. Hardy set off to bury his captain, though he had to threaten the burial party to let him enter enemy lines. It soon became too dark for him to see, and he grew extremely tired. He heard a man begging for someone to kill him, and seeing the poor soldier’s condition, Mr. Hardy put him out of his misery. He threw away his pistol afterwards and went to sleep. In the morning, he headed towards the Confederate lines, but was shot in the leg in reproach. After explaining his wish to bury his captain, a soldier took him to see a Confederate captain, who accompanied Mr. Hardy with a small party of soldiers to the oak tree. There, Mr. Hardy did his best to give his captain a dignified burial. A general caught sight of them and learned of the situation. Mr. Hardy asked if he could say a prayer over the body before being taken prisoner. Though Mr. Hardy had difficulty remembering the correct words for the prayer, the Confederate soldiers were respectful and the general recommended Mr. Hardy for the Medal of Honor. Mr. Hardy passed out from blood loss and later received his medal from the President. His lieutenant married the woman named Elizabeth and moved to Massachusetts in shame of his loss in the battle.

In the present, Jackie’s father notices how unwell Mr. Hardy looks and takes him inside the house. He tells Jackie to bring a doctor, and Mr. Hardy descends into a state of delirium. Before he dies, he asks Jackie to say the same words as he said over his captain’s body. Jackie does as requested, crying when Mr. Hardy passes away. To help him cope with the loss, he is sent to live with his aunt, but Jackie never forgets Mr. Hardy and his story.