Rhett tries to outrun both the retreating Confederate Army, who want the horse, and the approaching Union Army. They race against the background of the great fire caused by the Confederate Army destroying the fuel depot to prevent it from falling into the enemy's hands. However, after escaping Atlanta, Rhett stops the wagon under a bridge over which the Confederate soldiers are marching. It is pouring rain, and the very weak and ill Melanie tries to protect her infant from the weather. Rhett informs Scarlett that he is leaving to join the army. She argues with him, but he won't be swayed, and when he asks for a kiss for a departing soldier (meaning himself), Scarlett slaps him instead, declaring her eternal hatred for him. The three women finally reach Twelve Oaks, the Wilkes' family home, burned to the ground. This sight makes Scarlett even more determined to get to Tara and her mother, and she whips the poor tired horse in a frenzy. The horse collapses and dies. They find Tara in very bad shape; her mother has died and her father's mental state seems unstable. Scarlett famously vows to always take care of herself and her family, no matter what it takes, because she nor her own will ever be hungry again.