Inman was actually a real person. Although his story is quite different from the one depicted in the film. He lived in a mountain town called Waynesville, North Carolina. He and his five brothers enlisted in the army. Two of his brothers, Joshua and Lewis, ended up in the same company as William. Enlisted in the army for several years, he left and returned, each time pardoned (Peuser and Plante). Around 1862-1863 he married Margret Henson, and in 1864 they had a daughter. Shortly after his birth, Inman was shot down during the "Battle of the Crater", and that's when he left the Confederate Army for good (The True Story of Cold Mountain). It is believed that it was his brother Lewis who made the return trip with him (Peuser and Plante). After leaving the army, he joined Samuel Massey, who worked as a recruiter for the Union Army in Knoxville, Tennessee. One day he was sent to break out prisoners, but was chased into the mountain where he was killed (The True Story of Cold