Which noncommissioned officer is standing on the other end of the plank from the man who is about to be hanged?

From the 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge', a line once said there:

"A man stood upon a railroad bridge in northern Alabama, looking down into the swift water twenty feet below."

This line wants the reader's attention to focus on the main character in his physical context. Although the setting is stated, nothing is said specific about the man, whether it be his name or why he was standing on a bridge.

This creates an immediate feeling of mystery and suspense. Also, it places the readers in a position of having only limited view of what exactly is going on.