Henry Fleming left his mother to join the Union Army. While on the way to battle Henry is worried that he will retreat in battle . His fears are haunting him from behind
4
Henry fights at first, he quickly succumbs to terror as he sees several of his fellow soldiers abandon the first battle. Wilson, a racket and egotistical comrade, is another of his friends who quits the war before it even begins. Henry flees and retreat, wracked by fear, guilt, and shame as he turns away from the war.
5
A wounded squad of soldiers, featuring Jim Conklin, reunites to Henry. A battered soldier makes an attempt to make friends with Henry. Jim is pursued by Henry as well as a military into the forest, where he died. Soon after, Henry abandons him in the woods, alone and grumbling. A cheerful person leads Henry back towards his unit, despite his exhaustion. He claims the opposition struck him in the head, even though the scar is the result of a struggle with both a fighter.
6
Henry hides his cowardice from his fellow soldiers and transforms into a "war devil," or fierce fighter. The regiment is then assigned to a mission that will almost certainly result in death. The fact that the general refers to the soldiers as "mule drivers" strengthens Henry and Wilson's desire to fight. By saving the banner from a passing color bearer, Henry is becoming the colorful carrier for the next fight.
Rebels hide behind a landowner's wall as the unit engages them. They know that their lines are soon decreasing and that they should always charge the fence. As the revolutionary color bearer is murdered, Henry and Wilson fix their eyes on him, and Wilson swoops in to take the flag. The battle is won by the Union troops, and a weird quiet descends upon the area.
Henry is once again tortured by regret for his deeds the day before as they travel back to the camp. He begins to despair as he recalls his treachery, his abandoning of both Jim Conklin and the tattered soldier. However, he realizes that his bravery as color bearer has compensated for his mistakes, and he finds peace with himself for his deeds.