The two lines from the passage that support the theme "War tests character on and off the battlefield" are:
- "No service was too humble for him to perform in the aid of the South, no adventure too perilous for him to undertake if consistent with the character of a civilian who was at heart a soldier..."
- "Circumstances of an imperious nature, which it is unnecessary to relate here, had prevented him from taking service with that gallant army..."
These lines highlight Peyton Farquhar's commitment to the cause and the internal conflict and character testing he experiences due to his circumstances related to the war.