The Unvanquished Summary

The narrative follows two young boys, Bayard Sartoris and Ringo, on the Sartoris plantation during the Civil War. They are tipped by an enslaved man, Loosh, about the Union armies infringing on their Mississippi territory, leading them to spy on Loosh. This leads to an incident where they end up shooting a Union soldier's horse. Later, under Bayard's father's directive, Granny moves a chest of silver to Memphis for protection, taking the boys through Union territory. Here, they are robbed of their mules and separated from Granny, but manage to capture the culprits. They return home to find their house burnt and the silver stolen by Union soldiers.

Granny then decides to negotiate with the Yankees, traveling with the boys through Alabama, where they encounter scores of freed slaves and Bayard's cousin Drusilla. Along the way, they face numerous difficulties, including the destruction of a railroad and a river crossing, and discover Granny's cunning plan of trading smuggled mules with the Yankees. However, they're eventually caught and forced to escape. It's disclosed that Granny has been distributing her profits to the community. When Granny falls victim to a band of ex-Confederate bandits, Bayard and Ringo, with the aid of Uncle Buck, go on a relentless chase for justice.

Years later, Bayard becomes a law student while Drusilla is back from the war and staying with the Sartorises. Amidst local scandal and the political tension of a contested election, Drusilla is pressured into marrying Colonel Sartoris while he's on a mission to prevent a political victory by outsiders. Years later, Bayard is summoned back home to avenge his father's murder. He returns to find a vengeful Drusilla waiting. However, Bayard chooses to defy the cycle of violence by confronting his father's killer unarmed, maintaining his honor without bloodshed. Drusilla leaves the house for good, leaving no trace but a sprig of verbena on Bayard's pillow.