Who is about to be hanged at the beginning of the story occurrence at owl creek bridge?

At the beginning of "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce, Peyton Farquhar, a Southern planter and Confederate sympathizer, is about to be hanged. He is captured by Union soldiers while trying to sabotage a railroad bridge during the Civil War. The story opens with him standing on the bridge with a noose around his neck, facing execution. His thoughts drift to his family and his desire to escape, setting the stage for the story's exploration of perception and reality.