The man whose hands were tied and whose fate was on the plank as he stared at the stream below him, reminiscing his life, would have been part of the confederate army whose post was ambushed by Union soldiers while they were asleep. It might've been on the point where he held out for some time but instead cracked under pressure and told the Union soldiers all that he knew. The captain or sergeant or colonel ordered his execution, thus the situation which the passage mentioned. This may or may not be the Union soldiers led by Colonel Abel D. Streight.
Basis:
1) The mentioning of Alabama, one of the places of battle during the Civil War where it was mentioned that Col. Streight was in charge of Union Troops back in ca. 1862.
2) The describing (or discreet mentioning) of the Federal Army. The Federal Army is the northern army of the Civil War, hence the Civil War setting.
These are Text Features of a Functional Document that I found, since you didn't provide any choices.
- Instructions
- Manuals
- Memos
- Reports
- Applications
- Resumes
I hope this (somewhat) helped you!!<span />
D. Phrases such as "didn't laugh" and "heads down" convey sadness toward the farmers being driven from their land.