Cold Mountain: Chapter 20 Summary & Analysis

The next morning, Ada and Inman are still lying in bed together. They’re forming a plan. The war will be over in a few months at most, they agree. Therefore, Inman’s best course of action might be to lay low for a few months, rather than trying to return to battle straight away. Ada, Ruby, and Inman arrive at another possibility: Inman could go north to the Federals, surrender to them, and take a loyalty oath. This way, Inman will have an advantage when the Federals inevitably win the war later this year.

In the mountains, Stobrod begins to recover. His wounds shrink, and he’s able to eat solid food again. Ruby, Ada, and Inman prepare to return to the farm: Stobrod is finally healthy enough to be carried down by horse. Inman proposes that Ada and Ruby go ahead to the farm—if they travel with Inman and Stobrod, they’ll be in danger. Stobrod and Inman plan to walk north to the Federals, where they’ll surrender and then lay low, hoping that the war ends soon. Ruby and Ada agree to this plan.

Ada and Ruby head down through the mountains, with Inman and Stobrod taking a different route, heading north. When Inman and Stobrod are nearly out of the woods, however, they’re ambushed by Teague and the Home Guard. Teague sneers at Stobrod, “Hard man to kill.” Inman looks to the horsemen of the Guard, their rifles drawn and pointed right at him. He remembers being back in the army, and realizes that nothing he says will dissuade these people from attacking him.

Suddenly, Inman slaps Ralph (the horse), and Ralph—bearing Stobrod—charges away from the Home Guard, into the woods. At the same time, Inman draws his pistol and shoots one of the horsemen. Inman shoots another rider, leaving only three. One of the horsemen turns and rides away, afraid of the danger. Teague fires his rifle, but his horse is so agitated that he misses Inman entirely. The sound of the gunshot further agitates Teague’s horse, and Teague falls off. Quickly, Inman runs forward and grabs Teague’s rifle out of his hands. When Teague draws a knife, Inman shoots Teague in the chest. The final horseman dismounts and runs toward Inman, but Inman is too fast for him—he hits the man over the head with the butt of his rifle.

Inman looks up and sees the third horseman, Birch, riding away into the forest. Inman takes his rifle and chases the horseman. As Inman tries to get a good look at his opponent, he realizes that Birch is really a boy—not even old enough to shave his face. The trees become so thick that the Home Guard rider can no longer ride away—he’s trapped. Inman raises his gun and tells Birch to drop his weapon. He wants an excuse to save the boy’s life, he insists.

Instead of obeying Inman, Birch tries to bolt away on his horse. Almost immediately, the horse gets tangled in the trees, and Birch falls off. He reaches for his pistol, but Inman yells for him to drop it at once. Instead of responding, Birch “moves his hand” and suddenly, Inman falls to the ground.

Meanwhile, Ada and Ruby are walking back to their farm when they hear gunshots. Stobrod comes running toward them, and explains that the Home Guard ambushed them. Ruby, Ada, and Stobrod rush toward the gunshot sounds. By the time they’re close by, the boy has already gathered his horses and ridden off, leaving dead bodies on the ground.

Ada looks through the woods, and eventually comes to Inman, lying on the ground. Ada allows Inman to rest his head in her lap. The scene is almost peaceful, the narrator notes—so peaceful that one would be tempted to imagine an alternate world in which Inman and Ada live together as a married couple for many decades.