william42
First Sergeant
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2005
- Location
- Evansville, Indiana
I read a lot of Vonnegut, and he's always recommended the short stories of Ambrose Bierce. I finally picked up a book with a small collection of Bierces short stories. One of them is entitled "Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge".
Bierce fought in the war with an Indiana regiment, and saw action at many of the larger battles. These stories are fiction, based on what he saw while in the service, and they are all riveting, detailed accounts of misfortunes, tragedys, missed signals, death, and how it feels to draw a bead on a fellow countryman and drop the hammer on him. He describes it as a dreadful, sickening experience, but tragically necessary. He's immediately filled with remorse, regret, and the horrifying realization that he will have to probably do it again at some point.
Bierce crossed into Mexico in 1911 or so, maybe 1913, when he was in his '70's, ostensibly to join up with Pancho Villa and to fight again. Nobody has heard from him since he crossed the Rio Grand in that year, but his writings have become immensely popular. His stories are a great read.
Terry
Bierce fought in the war with an Indiana regiment, and saw action at many of the larger battles. These stories are fiction, based on what he saw while in the service, and they are all riveting, detailed accounts of misfortunes, tragedys, missed signals, death, and how it feels to draw a bead on a fellow countryman and drop the hammer on him. He describes it as a dreadful, sickening experience, but tragically necessary. He's immediately filled with remorse, regret, and the horrifying realization that he will have to probably do it again at some point.
Bierce crossed into Mexico in 1911 or so, maybe 1913, when he was in his '70's, ostensibly to join up with Pancho Villa and to fight again. Nobody has heard from him since he crossed the Rio Grand in that year, but his writings have become immensely popular. His stories are a great read.
Terry