A Horseman in the Sky

by Ambrose Bierce

Read-Along Radio Dramas use both visual and auditory sensory modes to develop the full range

of language arts skills including an intuitive sense for the sound patterns of the English language

and a reading rate appropriate to the material being read. The kits were designed for use with

language arts students in 6th grade through adult levels. Students follow along on word-for-word

scripts as they listen to the recorded audio drama with full casts and sound effects. The high

interest audio production promotes enthusiastic responses from students. When used as whole-

class read-along, the kits solve the age-old problem of some students not reading the assignment.

Read-Along Radio Dramas may be used with all language arts areas and ability levels (English,

reading, drama, ESL, special education, etc.) to improve reading, writing, listening and

visualization skills.



Each kit includes:

A cassette recording, a word-for-word script with duplication rights, seven or more student

activity sheets, discussion/writing questions, answer keys, a literary terms study packet, specific

teaching suggestions for the story title, strategies for teaching read-along in the secondary

classroom, an annotated script of the original story (when major changes are made in the

adaptation), and a sample lesson plan.



Common classroom uses:

Whole-class literature study.

Learning Stations -- Individual (home school for instance) or small group activities.

Models for writing and producing classroom plays.

Emergency Lesson Plans -- When teacher is absent, students are engaged in appropriate activities.

Genres: Short Stories, Classics, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, War, American

Unbound

First published January 1, 1898

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

[Maureen]

*3.5 stars*

A well written story about the American Civil War, but it’s the ending that comes as such a shock!
Here’s the free link https://loa-shared.s3.amazonaws.com/s...

[Sara]

A wonderfully written story that ends with an Oh My God moment. Not one I will ever forget. My friend, Bob, has often said it is one of his favorites, and now it is one of mine.

[Diane Barnes]

A must read for Civil War readers.

[Bob]

Of all the short stories I’ve read this is one of the most stunning and memorable. I will never forget this one, and I will reread it many times.

I highly recommend this it's only a few pages in length, 20-30 minutes tops.

Update/reread 4/20/20
I read this a few days ago and have just finished rereading it twice more. On first reading this it struck me hard emotionally. This is one that has changed me a little and certainly caused me to think.

Update/reread 2/28/21
Still one of the best short stories ever.

Another reread 2/20/24
This story never fails to amaze me. This time through, left me wondering about a man's duty, how does one prioritize?

[Terris]

So good!

[Jim]

Incorrect edition. Mine is "The Horseman in the Sky & Other Stories" read by Alex Wilson. There were just 3 of them. They all follow the same vein; there is a setup & the very last bit puts the screws in.

The title story is pretty long, but it's almost poetic in the way it lulled me into false conclusions about the young soldier. Then the end. Wow!!!

An Arrest was very short & seemed to make sense until the end. Again, wow. If I hadn't been prepared by the last story, I never would have suspected it.

Present at a Hanging wasn't as good as the preceding stories, but was still pretty good. It suffered just by its place in this collection. Otherwise, it was a very worthy ghost story.

Well narrated & less than a half hour for the 3 of them. Time well spent!

[Scott Whitney]

I like this short story and had the great pleasure of sharing it with my 7th grade class. It is a great story for being able to discuss setting, characterization and plot. It also has a good example of how a story can have more than one conflict.

[K. Anna Kraft]

I've arranged my thoughts into a haiku:

"Sleep is a sojourn
From duty and memories,
Ceased with cool resolve."

[ach]

Another school assignment where we had to point out the conflicts present, simple nd i didn't like it tht much

[Federico DN]

Outstanding.

This was very good, but not going to review it.

For the moment at least.

It’s public domain. You can find it HERE.

-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1880] [15p] [Historical] [3.5] [Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------

★★★★☆ The Damned Thing.
★★★★☆ An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. [3.5]
★★★☆☆ Un Habitante de Carcosa y otros Relatos de Terror.
★★★☆☆ Civil War Stories. <-- [2.5]

-----------------------------------------------

Sobresaliente.

Esto estuvo muy muy bien, pero no voy a reseñarlo.

Al menos por ahora.

Es dominio público, lo pueden encontrar ACA.

-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1880] [15p] [Histórico] [3.5] [Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------

[Juergen John Roscher]

Ambrose Bierce is the author of one of my favorite short stories - The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. Though this short story isn't to the same level as Occurrence it is still a good story if you ignore the long scene setting introduction. I could feel the tension in the Union scout as he decides what to do in a life and death situation. I'd think the ending was predictable but still left me with an agonizing feeling of dread for the scout.

Recommend reading this short story and other Bierce stories.

[Kate]

I had to read this a few times to understand it. I liked how it was written and the details of the settings, but the story lost me and I had no idea what the ending was about. I had to read the wiki notes about it to understand, as it's a lot of symbolism and I'm not very good at untangling that sort of thing.

[Paul LaFontaine]

Wow, another Bierce story that just grabs you. Very short, to the point, and powerful. American Civil War as a backdrop, the young man goes off to the disappointment of his father. His father's instructions, as he leaves, are that he is to do his what he believes is his duty. When he does at the end of the story, the result is mind blowing. Superb read, and well worth it.

[Kelly_Hunsaker_reads ...]

Ambrose Bierce writes moving and compelling short stories. This one hit me hard emotionally, and I immediately listened again.

[Tom]

3.5⭐

[سَنَاء شَلْتُوت]

it's the consequences of terrible civil war. :( :(

[John Yelverton]

It is a whale of a short story with an ending for the ages, but what a horrible and gut wrenching ending it was.

[Rebecca]

Read for literature class, damn.

[Shuggy L.]

Set in 1861, a Union soldier (Carter Druse) has been posted as a sentinel high up on the cliffs of a beautiful valley in western Virginia (Grafton).

His father is a wealthy Virginian and even though they are on opposite sides of the conflict, he tells Druse to act with a good conscience and to always do his duty.

Unfortunately, doing one's duty can sometimes create conflicts of interest.

First of all, humans always seem to be compelled to fight each other regardless of deadly and destructive consequences:

"... No country is so wild and difficult but men will make it a theatre of war".

Additionally, nature sometimes has to take its course. In this case, Druse has unintentionally fallen asleep at his post.

He is lying "in a clump of laurel by the side of the road."

Falling asleep in such a role was a very serious crime and at that time warranted execution: "death being the just and legal penalty of his crime."

In this instance, it is very important that the Union's position is not discovered in a surprise attack.

However, on this occasion, Druse awakens in time to see an enemy horseman approaching his position.

Druse then has to face yet another crisis of conscience in order to perform his duty.

Descriptions of evocative scenery and dreamy feelings of humanity.

[Ann T]

This is a short story detailing the account of difficult choices during wartime. The main character is Carter Druse, an only child who decides to join the Union. Because his family is from Virginia, he is considered a traitor to Virginia and his father. The Union assigns Druse to a remote outpost since he knows the terrain. He falls asleep, but is awakened by an angelic force just in time to witness a mysterious, statuesque horseman who has identified the Union regiments, but has not yet discovered Druse's position. Druse decides to kill the Confederate horseman which "At that instant the horseman turned his head and looked in the direction of his concealed foeman--seemed to look into his very face, into his eyes, into his brave, compassionate heart." Druse's decision was to protect the Union's position in the valley below. The only witness to the death is an officer below, whom sees the horseman falling over a thousand foot vertical cliff, appearing to fly as an apparition, hence A Horseman in the Sky. The identity of the horseman is not revealed until the end of the story, when we learn it's Druse's father, a Confederate spy.

[Charissa Wilkinson]

Overview: A young Virginian man has joined the Union army, instead of the Confederacy. As such, he has had a split within his family. While on watch, he is faced with doing what his duty calls for. A Confederate soldier has come down the road. How will he handle it?

Dislikes: This was just the darkest time in the United States history. As such, it doesn't make for happy reading.

Likes: Our unnamed protagonist had a hard choice to make. I personally think that he made the right one.

Conclusion: Stories written at this time are important. They show that history isn't just a simplistic form of black and white. There were quite a few shades of gray in most all of the fighting. This story was a bit heartbreaking, and dangerous for the son. Enjoy the read.

[Karpe Diez]

Din clasele primare ni se vara pe gat conceptul de patriotism. Trebuie sa devina tot ce e mai sfant pentru noi, sa transceanda pana si iubirea filiala. Dar moralitatea se dovedeste, inca o data, o notiune subiectiva. Eroul acestei povestiri se confrunta cu conflictul intre doua fatete posibile ale eticului: patriotismul, trambitat de membrii societatii din care face parte, si propria convingere despre alaturarea, in razboi, cauzei care i se pare siesi dreapta. Si care se intampla sa fie cauza inamicului societatii sale. Dar, indiferent de alegere, trebuie alegerea sa fie absoluta, urmata orbeste, in fiecare moment si indiferent de situatie?

[Michael]

Great short stories capture a single, intense life moment very clearly without extra filler. I love reading them because a lot of them pack a bunch. They offer quick emotional power and let us finish a whole tale in one sitting.

Ambrose Bierce a great short-story writer fought during the American Civil War reflects on his experiences during that war. In the "A Horseman in the Sky" Carter Druse joins the Union Army because he loves his country and opposes slavery and the division of the Union, despite growing up in Virginia with a family loyal to the South. Once the government puts a gun in his hands the results are a "WOW" ending. I read it twice to make sure of what I read actually happen. Talk about a massive emotional blow. Impressive, shocking story.

[Sandy Schmidt]

Actually, it was an audiobook: A Horseman in the Sky and other stories (An Arrest, Present at a Hanging). Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (June 24, 1842 – circa 1914) was an American short story writer, journalist, poet, and Civil War veteran featured on an episode of History's Unexplained Mysteries. Interesting character and chilling stories.

[April Helms]

This tale, set during the Civil War, follows a young soldier, who signed for the Union army despite hailing from Virginia. One day, while on watch duty, he is faced with a difficult choice when he sees a Confederate soldier perilously close to the hidden Union camp. An amazing short story, with a gut punch revelation at the end.

[Julieta Steyr]

Um. Que difícil calificar esta historia.
Un padre y su hijo en distintos bandos de la Guerra Civil Americana, pero la forma en que narró los sucesos me dejó algo confundida y tuve que releer una partecita.
Es interesante. ¿Bueno o malo? No sé, así que lo dejo en un regular.

[TompoChico]

A heartbreaking though symbolic look at the dark corners of the civil war. The comparison of a Confederate soldier falling through the air to the horsemen heralding in the apocalypse has sadly been lost to time for many people, though it remains a startlingly important metaphor for the modern age.

[Kristina]

Bierce never disappoints. Another great story by him.

[Samaa]

good story

[Liz]

(1889) Beautifully written but sadly predictable. A son from Virginia decides to join the Union Army. there is no glamour here, only the reality of war. Available on youtube.