Phantoms of a Blood-Stained Period: The Complete Civil War Writings

by Ambrose Bierce

Alone among important American writers, Ambrose Bierce fought for four years in the Civil War. The writings he produced about that conflict comprise a body of work unique in our nation's literature. This volume gathers for the first time virtually everything Bierce wrote about the war, from letters composed on the field of battle to maps he drew as a topographical engineer, from his masterful short stories to his final bittersweet ruminations before he disappeared into Mexico in 1914. The collection is organized chronologically, following Bierce's participation in a wide range of battles, from the early skirmishes in the West Virginia mountains to the bloodbaths at Shiloh and Chickamauga and his near fatal wounding at Kennesaw Mountain. His overlapping accounts of these events provide a clear and compelling record of the sights and sounds of the battlefield, the psychological traumas the war induced in its soldiers, and the memories that would haunt survivors for the rest of their lives. In prose that anticipates the work of Ernest Hemingway and Tim O'Brien, Bierce's writings unflinchingly tell the truth about the war. Writing in the 1880s and 1890s, at a time when both the North and South were erecting monuments to the heroes and glories of the war, Bierce insisted that his readers confront what really happened. Rather than celebrate causes and comrades, Bierce's fiction and memoirs describe the impossibly brutal realities of the Civil War battlefield. The volume includes a biographical introduction and comprehensive notes on all the writings and is suitable for classroom adoption and general readers alike.

Genres: Civil War, History, Nonfiction

328 pages, cloth

First published February 1, 2001

About the author

died perhaps 1914

Caustic wit and a strong sense of horror mark works, including In the Midst of Life (1891-1892) and The Devil's Dictionary (1906), of American writer Ambrose Gwinett Bierce.

People today best know this editorialist, journalist, and fabulist for his short story, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and his lexicon.

The informative sardonic view of human nature alongside his vehemence as a critic with his motto, "nothing matters," earned him the nickname "Bitter Bierce."

People knew Bierce despite his reputation as a searing critic, however, to encourage younger poet George Sterling and fiction author W.C. Morrow.

Bierce employed a distinctive style especially in his stories. This style often embraces an abrupt beginning, dark imagery, vague references to time, limited descriptions, the theme of war, and impossible events.

Bierce disappeared in December 1913 at the age of 71 years. People think that he traveled to Mexico to gain a firsthand perspective on ongoing revolution of that country.

Theories abound on a mystery, ultimate fate of Bierce. He in one of his final letters stated: "Good-bye. If you hear of my being stood up against a Mexican stone wall and shot to rags, please know that I think it is a pretty good way to depart this life. It beats old age, disease, or falling down the cellar stairs. To be a Gringo in Mexico--ah, that is euthanasia!"

Reviews

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the following for War Stories: ‘Killed at Resaca’, ‘Chickamauga’, ‘The Coup de Gras’, ‘What I saw of Shiloh’, ‘The Crime at Pickett’s Mill’, ‘Bivouac of the Dead.’ Enjoyed the first three; they were short and punchy. Chickamauga especially shows how war is alien and causes a loss of innocence.

[Yossarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bierce's writing is often brutal, but not sensational and always honest. He is the written word analog to Matthew Brady's photos. It is understandable that he is not everyone's cup of tea, but if you want a frank look at what the American Civil War was like, Bierce is essential reading and this collection should be in your library.

[Adam Sol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bierce was a decorated Civil War vet himself, and was infuriated by the white-washing and glorification of the war from both sides afterwards. His war writing will feel very modern in its sarcastic tones and brutal descriptions. You might have read "Incident on the Owl Creek Bridge" in high school, but there are a lot of other revealing portraits and stories as well, some desperately sad and some vicious with satire and bitterly funny. I wouldn't necessarily recommend blasting through all 300 pages in one sitting -- the tone can ultimately get a bit repetitive -- but as a companion to historical readings of the Civil War, or simply as a way to discover one of the great American soldier/writers, this is an extremely good collection, with ample notes and explanations when needed.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A long, somewhat difficult read, but so worth it. I had a harder time with his battlefield accounts since I just couldn't get my mind to picture the positioning of troops as he described it, but I loved his stories. I particularly enjoyed the ghost stories, but all his stories were wonderful in their own way. Some are tragic, some are funny, some are both. I love Bierce's wit and snark. Wish I could have known him!

[D.e. Varni · Rating 5 out of 5]

These were short stories by Ambrose Bierce. They were telling of his experiences in the Civil War from his idealistic enlistment at the beginning of the war through to the horrors of the battlefield all told in colorful detail and painful description. It is a must have for anyone who enjoys reading up on the Civil War, or war in general. It changed my perception of the battlefield.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

A large number of mostly short pieces, consisting of stories, memoirs, and commentary. The prose is sometimes straightforward, sometimes interestingly oblique. Unfortunately the editors did not see fit to label the pieces as to whether they were clearly fiction (albeit informed by his experiences) or memoir, or ambiguous; that would have been their most useful contribution.

[Ray Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want a look at how the Civil War impacted the men who fought this is a must read.

[Todd Fife · Rating 5 out of 5]

War, n. A by-product of the arts of peace.
The Devil's Dictionary

[Jonathan]

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