"Killed at Resaca" begins with the narrator describing a lieutenant, Herman Brayle, he serves with during the American Civil War. Brayle, a tall man with fair features, consistently wears full uniform and never takes cover during battle. Despite being questioned for his reasoning to behave so foolishly in battles and with little regards for his safety, he never explains or changes his actions. One day when given an order to deliver a message, rather than taking a safe path to do so, Brayle charges out into an open field and is fired upon by Confederate troops. Watching his heroic figure galloping through the gunshots, the Union soldiers also put forth their own efforts to defend and battle. Even when presented with an opportunity for salvation in the form of a hiding place, Brayle awaits death with a defiant stance.