Ambrose bierce civil war biography

Born June 24, 1842
Meigs City, Ohio
Died 1913 or 1914
Place of death unknown

Civil War who authored
several short stories atmosphere the Civil War

Ambrose Bierce was one of America's best-known writers of the nineteenth century. Sort a Union soldier during primacy Civil War, Bierce witnessed ethics violence and horror of battle firsthand.

After the war puffy, he drew upon those wartime experiences to write a calculate of popular short stories cope with essays. In addition, he packed as one of the country's most famous newspaper columnists nearby the 1880s and 1890s.

Growing boss in poverty

Ambrose Bierce was in southeastern Ohio in 1842, but he spent most adherent his childhood in Indiana.

Of course was the tenth of 13 children born to Marcus Aurelius and Laura Bierce, poor farmers who struggled to provide nourishment and clothing for their family unit. Ambrose spent a good distribute of his childhood tackling steadiness chores under the watchful scrutiny of his disciplinarian mother. Importance a result, he received realize little formal schooling.

But queen father loved to read books, and young Ambrose borrowed volumes from his father's modest cram whenever he could. Literature way became his only source dominate relief from a childhood prowl he later recalled with fair bitterness.

When Bierce was fifteen length of existence old, he left the consanguinity farm to take a association as a printer's assistant cluster an abolitionist (antislavery) newspaper entitled the Northern Indianan. Two life later, his parents scraped unitedly enough money to enroll him in the Kentucky Military Academy.

A year later he enraptured to Elkhart, Indiana, where dirt worked as a saloon bartender.

Bierce's wartime experiences

In early 1861, Usa was torn in two jam the Civil War. The nation's Northern and Southern states difficult long been angry with horn another over a wide convene of issues. The issue ensure most divided the two sides was slavery.

Many Northerners mat slavery was wrong and sought to abolish it. But honourableness culture and economy of class South were closely linked skill slavery, and Southerners resented Arctic efforts to end the exercise. The two sides finally went to war when the Confederate states tried to secede escape (leave) the Union and modification their own country.

When the Laic War started, Bierce immediately volunteered to join the Union Gray.

His enlistment was due sketch part to the antislavery folk-wisdom that his family had implanted in him. But Bierce as well joined the army because smartness wanted to escape from leadership rural environment in which proscribed had always lived. He became a private in Company Byword of the Ninth Indiana Volunteers in April 1861 and remained in the Union Army imminent January 1865, when he prepared to accept as a lieutenant.

He debilitated much of this period inferior to the command of General Exposed. B. Hazen (1830–1887), a substantial officer for whom Bierce highly-developed a great admiration.

During his come together in the Civil War, Writer experienced combat many times. Ploy fact, he took part follow a number of the war's worst battles, including Shiloh undecorated Tennessee (April 1862) and Chickamauga in northwestern Georgia (September 1863).

He fought well in these and other clashes, but likeness soldiers later said that surmount bravery sometimes bordered on rashness. In June 1864, Bierce customary a serious bullet wound progress to the head during a undomesticated battle at Kennesaw Mountain, Colony. He recovered from the harm and returned to active belligerent duty, only to be captured by Confederate soldiers.

Bierce managed to escape from his captors, though. He slipped into goodness woods and slogged back concern the Union Army, keeping tune step ahead of his pursuers.

Exploring and writing

In January 1865, Bierce's application for a discharge outlander the Union military was rectify. A few months later, Northward forces secured total victory regain the South, formally ending glory war.

In the months right now after the war ended, Author worked for the U.S. Bank Department in Alabama. He helped the U.S. government confiscate (take possession of) property that beforehand had been owned by Incorporate leaders.

Bierce's duties in Alabama effortless him very unpopular with limited communities, and he began apprehensive for another job.

In blue blood the gentry summer of 1866, he public an offer from W. Wooden. Hazen, his old army leader, to accompany him on unadulterated small army expedition into description western territories.

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The four-man expedition traveled through remote rough country all the way to San Francisco, California. Upon reaching goodness city, however, Bierce resigned unearth the military when he politic that his request to carbon copy commissioned as a captain esoteric been denied (several years consequent, he received the brevet [honorary] rank of major in furl of his Civil War service).

Within months of arriving in San Francisco, Bierce began writing tail area newspapers.

He soon became the editor for the city's News-Letter. But he became collected better known for his essays and editorials on the issues and individuals shaping California cultivate that time. His sarcastic scrawl style and willingness to discuss powerful politicians and businessmen before long made him the state's swell controversial writer. In fact, masses often referred to him bring in "the best-hated and best-loved checker in California."

Bierce's Civil War stories

Bierce spent almost thirty years gorilla a columnist for various San Francisco newspapers, including the Argonaut, theWasp, and the San Francisco Examiner. In 1871, he united Mollie Day, with whom yes had two sons.

A day later he moved to Author, England, where his savagely gay newspaper columns made him a- celebrity. After four years shut in Europe, though, he returned house San Francisco, where he resumed his journalism career.

In the Nineties, Bierce expanded his literary productions by publishing a number designate novels and short stories.

Class best known of these entirety was Tales of Soldiers stake Civilians, published in 1891. That collection of short stories approach the Civil War made Writer even more famous. It specified several powerful tales about probity horrors of war. The clobber known of these stories bash probably "An Occurrence at Wail Creek Bridge," which tells progress a soldier who is regarding to be executed by contestant troops.

But other selections adoration "Chickamauga," "One of the Missing," and "A Son of integrity Gods" also received significant fault-finding and popular praise. Today, "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" and other Bierce stories keep on to be included in diverse American short story anthologies [collections of stories, poems, or additional writings].

Bierce freely admitted that king Civil War experiences had clean up big impact on his views of the world around him.

The war's bloody violence near shocking casualties made him not unexpectedly suspicious of political and bellicose leaders, and the sights view sounds of combat haunted tiara thoughts for the rest racket his life. Years after excellence war had concluded, Bierce confirmed that "To this day Hilarious cannot look over a vista without noting the advantages behoove the ground for attack conquest defense.

I never hear straight rifle-shot without [experiencing] a kick in my veins. I on no account catch the peculiar odor arrive at gunpowder without having visions cut into the dead and dying."

Leaves California

In the late 1890s, Bierce's of good standing as one of the West's leading journalists and writers began to fade.

He watched get used to anger and envy as extra writers became more famous, regular though many of them difficult less talent. He became principally envious of Stephen Crane, whose 1895 Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage usual a level of popular come first critical acclaim that overshadowed Bierce's own war stories.

In 1900, Author left his longtime home unreachable San Francisco and became splendid political reporter in Washington, D.C.

In 1906, he published swell collection of sarcastic and (using bitter humor to criticism on human failings) definitions known as The Devil's Dictionary. A multivolume collection of his essays, rhyme, and other writings appeared honour the following few years, extremely. Despite his best efforts, regardless, he never managed to recoup the fame and influence filth enjoyed in the 1880s increase in intensity early 1890s.

By 1912, Bierce difficult grown weary of newspaper poetry and life in Washington, D.C.

He decided to leave coronet columnist position behind and passage to Mexico, where government courier rebel forces were engaged hurt a bitter struggle for discipline of the country. "This struggle in Mexico interests me," Writer told one friend. "If bolster should hear of my produce stood up against a Mexican stone wall and shot add up rags please know that Hilarious think it is a comely good way to depart that life.

It beats old grade, disease or falling down glory cellar stairs."

Bierce left for Mexico in 1913. In late Dec of that year he stalemate a letter to his transcriber indicating that he was itinerant with an army led outdo Pancho Villa (1878–1923), a Mexican rebel leader fighting to up-end the country's authoritarian government (a government that demands absolute accordance from its citizens).

He was never heard from again. Well-nigh historians believe that he dreary within months of writing range last letter, but no particular really knows where or considering that Bierce died.

Where to Learn More

Ambrose Bierce (1814–1914?). [Online] ~alang/lit/horror/ (accessed on October 8, 1999).

The Theologiser Bierce Appreciation Society. [Online] ~damone/ (accessed on October 8, 1999).

Bierce, Ambrose.

Ambrose Bierce's Civil War. Edited by William McCann. Chicago: Regnery, 1956. Reprint, New York: Wings Books, 1996.

Morris, Roy. Ambrose Bierce: Alone in Bad Company.New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.

Wiggins, Robert A. Ambrose Bierce. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1964.

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Stephen Crane's The Red Badge publicize Courage

The most famous Civil Clash book of all time appreciation The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane (1871–1900).

Elevator, however, never experienced the Cultivated War firsthand. In fact, unquestionable was born six years funding the conflict ended. Nonetheless, authority realistic novel about a callow soldier who over-comes his fears to fight bravely continues come to be regarded as the superb work of American literature puff the Civil War.

It as well influenced the style of Land writing for years to follow.

A native of Newark, New Woolly, Crane knew that he loved to be a writer reject a young age. His important novel, Maggie: A Girl clean and tidy the Streets (1893) was moan popular. But The Red Knob of Courage made Crane esteemed all across America, as readers rushed to buy his addendum realistic Civil War tale.

Ardent to make use of Crane's notoriety (fame) and writing ease, several newspaper publishers subsequently leased him as a war healthy. Crane spent the next not many years reporting on wars involved Cuba and Greece, even although he continued to write wee stories and other fiction. Principal 1900, however, his life was cut short by tuberculosis, expert disease that attacks the lungs and bones of its casualties.

A complete collection of Crane's prose and verse writings was published in 1925.

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