March

March and Jesse desperately pursue the guerrillas who have taken captives from Oak Landing. March struggles to keep pace, weakened by fatigue, hunger, and injury. By nightfall, they cautiously approach the enemy camp and observe the captives tied up, while Zannah is forced to cook for her captors. Horrified, March watches as Zannah is led away by one of the soldiers, clearly about to be sexually assaulted. Though March wants to intervene immediately, Jesse insists they wait until the guerrillas—intoxicated by poisoned liquor Jesse has planted—become vulnerable.

Meanwhile, in the camp, Canning inadvertently reveals he has no ransom value—declaring himself broke—so the guerrilla major prepares to execute him. This prompts March to sacrifice his safety; he reveals himself and begs the major to spare Canning’s life. Before leaving the plantation, March found a picture of a woman, whom he assumes is Canning’s lover. He reveals this knowledge to Canning and the major and tells Canning to reveal the woman’s identity. In response, Canning defiantly says that the woman, his beloved fiancée, is already dead. Ultimately, the guerrillas tie up both Canning and March with plans to execute them at dawn. However, before long, Jesse’s sabotage begins to take effect, causing illness and disarray among the guerrillas. Under cover of darkness and fog, Zannah escapes her captors and secretly frees the prisoners. When the guerillas realize what is happening, a large conflict begins.

In the confusion of combat, March struggles to protect the captives, witnessing terrible violence as the plantation’s people fight fiercely against their tormentors. During the fight, Canning sacrifices himself to save March, though March does end up taking a bullet in the process, gravely wounding him. As March collapses, he sees one of his students brutally slain, and the battle devolves into blood and chaos. He drifts in and out of consciousness, tormented by guilt and grief.

In fragments of lucidity, March realizes Zannah has somehow rescued him, and they are fleeing toward Union lines. Tragically, she reveals that nearly everyone else—her son Jimse, Jesse, and the other captives—has been lost or re-enslaved. After an arduous journey, March awakens on the hospital ship Red Rover, where a nun explains that Zannah, despite being mute, bravely brought him to Union soldiers. Zannah left behind a message, calling him a “good kind man,” a simple tribute that overwhelms March with sorrow and gratitude. Even as the nun tries to comfort him, March’s body succumbs again to fever.