Chickamauga

by Ambrose Bierce, Don Kisner (Editor)

Set during the Civil War, the story begins with a six-year-old Southern boy who wanders away from his house and disappears into the nearby woods, all the while dreaming of military victories and heroic conquests.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Classics, Horror, Historical Fiction, American, American Civil War

12 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1889

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

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Bierce story can almost be recognized by its unexpected ending. This one is no exception.

[Tristram Shandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

„Born to War and Dominion as a Heritage“

Ambrose Bierce’s tales of the Civil War are anything but typically moralizing anti-war stories denouncing war as an evil brought about by ruthless and conniving politicians and ambitious generals and ruining and perverting the lives of innocent people. As a matter of fact, there are not any innocent people in Bierce’s fiction at all, and it is rather fascinating to see how Bierce uses the war as a congenial background against which his characters pursue their egoistic, or downright foolish aims, increasing the feeling of hell for each other. This way, he manages to show the utter horror of war, which is inextricably linked with the baseness and the evil of human nature.

This becomes particularly clear in what is one of his most bloodcurdling tales – Chickamauga, which was written in 1889, and in which, one fine summer’s day, a young boy of five or six years strays away from his parents’ little plantation in order to embark on a journey of conquest and exploration, his little wooden toy weapon in his hand. The child soon loses his way and finally falls asleep for some hours. Awakening, he still has not realized that he has lost his bearings and instead, he sets out for further adventures. While he was sleeping, the area had become the theatre of the war, and he suddenly finds himself amids hundreds of dying and severly injured soldiers who are trying to make their way towards a nearby river. In his wild fancy, the boy sees himself as the leader of this army the ghastliness of which he is completely unaware of, and he imagines leading them on towards battle. After a while he leaves the moribund army behind him and arrives at the burning remnants of a farmhouse, whose flames inspire him to a wild dance of fascinated joy. Suddenly he realizes that what is burning around him is his own home, which was hit by a shell, and he notices the mutilated corpse of his mother in the grass. When he finally opens his mouth, there is just an uncouth cry, “something between the chattering of an ape and the gobbling of a turkey” – for the child is a deaf mute.

If you read Chickamauga as the story of a little boy who finds that his home has been destroyed by a shell and that all his family have been killed, and who is maybe too young to fully work out what has happened but only feels terror and woe and yet is unable to express himself, this is an extremely moving story. Bierce would hardly be Bierce, however, unless he had given this story some subtext far less sentimental – even though the trauma of the boy will affect you. The boy could be interpreted as a stand-in for all those who are fascinated by war and who are less so on a purely intellectual (and rather safe) basis but who even engage in it. After all, the narrator, who is strangely detached from the events and yet at the same time limits his view to that of the boy, points out that there is a spirit of conquest in this boy, who is “born to war and dominion as a heritage” and is not afraid to venture into the dense forest. Undaunted, the little boy pushes his way into the wilderness but when he encounters a rabbit, he is so afraid that he takes to his heels. Yet at the same time he “vaguely wished to meet” a bear, not knowing anything to their discredit. This boy surely has the common sense of a modern politician.

The most macabre and most telling scene, then, is when the boy is heading his own private army, which – as all armies do – consists of dying men, and when, in the glee of his triumph over an imaginary enemy, the boy fails to realize that what he is gloating upon is actually his own home, or what is left of it.

And what is even more tragic, the boy is deaf – so he cannot listen to others but must learn from his own experience (which is not the worst thing in the world) -, and he is mute – so he cannot tell others what he has eventually learned (which, paradoxically, is one of the worst things in the world).

This is one of the finest indictments of the horrors of war I have ever read, and at the same time it is so pessimistic that the author’s knowledge of human nature cannot be doubted.

[K. Anna Kraft · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've arranged my thoughts into a haiku:

"Childish day dreams,
Harsh, creeping reality
Allows no quarter."

[midnightfaerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amazing and gory story about a young child whose imagination turns him into a commander of his own army. He wanders further into the forest than he meant to and finds new adventures to conquer. He eventually gets lost and as he tries to make his way home comes across his very own army to command. An amazing chronicle of an unusual circumstance from a young boys naïve point of view. Beautifully told, haunting and descriptive in all its aspects, a story that will live in my memory for a long time to come.

[Joselito Honestly and Brilliantly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chickamauga was one of the American Civil War battlefields where author Ambrose Bierce fought. For his conduct here he received a commendation from his leader, one General Hazen.

But you'll see nothing of the battle in this story. You'll hear no gunshots. Just a lost child, a deafening silence, footprints and ghost-like apparitions.

Brilliant.

[David Meditationseed · Rating 5 out of 5]

A narrative that brilliantly blends the lyric of Childhood with the horror of human violence, the oniric universe of infantile imagination with the cruelty of war, in which ghosts of the past walk side by side with hauntings of the present, and the future is so uncertain as to the possible lines that would follow after the last words of this tale.

It is a story full of symbols and from a light and subtle poetry finds its opposite, in a paradox of life and death between the cruel reality and the sweet illusion.

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 3 out of 5]

The horrors of war from the perspective of a young child that is naive to such atrocities. It’s a sickening thing that not many people think about, how the aftermath of witnessing such things impacts the growth of an impressionable mind.

[Quirkyreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was very weird and a bit hard to follow.

[Andria Potter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine. It isn't as good as some other short stories that I've read, but it's a good quick read. 3 ⭐

[Althea Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

(1891) This is an attempt by Bierce to depict the horror of the aftermath of the Battle of Chickamauga (1863)- a significant Union defeat, and a bloodbath. To do this, he describes the perspective of an uncomprehending toddler who comes upon the retreat by chance. It really didn't work for me - I found it too over-the-top and contrived.

[Mai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfulfilled

I’m very conflicted about this one. While the premise was good, the execution lacked depth. It needed more — more emotion, more connection, more weight to the story. Something vital was missing, leaving the experience feeling detached.

We follow a young boy raised to believe that going to battle is the greatest achievement in life, a belief shaped by his father’s pride in the battlefield. The boy wanders into the woods, imagining himself a commander leading an army — until he’s startled by a rabbit. Suddenly, the perspective shifts, and we’re faced with the raw horror of war: how it strips people of their humanity, their identity, and their souls.

This part was brutally honest and, in a way, well written — it confronts the truth without mercy. But even so, I felt no pull. The scene should’ve shattered my heart, yet it didn’t. The emotion that could’ve made the horror resonate deeply just wasn’t there, and that left me disappointed.

[☆Stephanie☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Read for ENG 226: American Literature II*
I know it's a classic, and it is very deep, I'm sure...
A child goes wandering through the woods. He gets lost. He encounters soldiers that are completely drained and near death after a Civil War battle (Battle of Chickamauga). The boy tries to play, thinking they are performing for him. He then takes his wooden sword and "leads" them. He ends up at home, where is mother is dead. (And the descriptions are downright grotesque: blood and brains and missing jaws...eww) We then find out the boy is a deaf-mute. The End.
I normally don't post spoilers but this is a short story, and it's over 100 years old. If you haven't read it, you either plan to or know the plot.
What I can't understand is what Bierce is trying to convey. Is it hopelessness? No. Empathy for the boy and soldiers? Maybe. Is it meant to covey something? I'm sure it is, but it was a boring read, as there is no dialogue (and it only makes sense at the end when we find out the kid is a deaf-mute) and it is written awkwardly. Switching from narrator to the boy's POV is supposed to help, but I find it confusing. It's almost like he's writing a story about a boy that doesn't realize the horrors he is witnessing until he sees is mother dead, and then (surprise!) he falls apart and cries. Really uplifting stuff, Bierce. Really nice.
I didn't like it. I appreciate that it is a classic piece of literature, and that we are to identify with the pain of the soldiers and the boy, but to me, it was just a really depressing story that seemed nihilistic and fatalistic at once.
Depressing.
But I read it for class, so there you go.
(I did, however, find an interesting piece by Bierce called The Devil's Dictionary, which is like a dictionary, but with cynical definitions. That is hilarious. Much nicer to read than this story.)
I am not too stupid to get the meaning from it. I hate when you put down a classic and people say, "But you just don't get it," or "Maybe it was too difficult for you." Sometimes, stories won't appeal to me. This one didn't. Not being vacuous or flippant: I just didn't like the story. Wasn't my taste or style. And it was really upsetting. I'm sure it was meant to elicit that response, and it did. But was not for me.
Sorry, y'all.

[Federico DN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent.

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

For the moment at least.

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

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PERSONAL NOTE :
[1870] [10p] [Historical] [3.5] [Recommendable]
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★★★★☆ 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]

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Excelente.

Estuvo muy bien, pero no voy a reseñarlo.

Al menos por ahora.

Es dominio público, lo pueden encontrar ACA.

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NOTA PERSONAL :
[1870] [10p] [Histórico] [3.5] [Recomendable]
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[Fred Forbes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost hate to take credit for a "book"! Had picked this up expecting a discussion of the Civil War battle but found instead it is a 12 page 99 cent short story written in 1889. Story is of a 6 year old boy lost in the woods after playing warrior with his wooden sword. Arises the next morning and sees men crawling through the woods. He climbs on the back of one to play "horsey" only to be tossed off and noticing the man is missing his lower jaw and bleeding profusely. The others are also badly wounded and attempting to crawl to safety. The boy then notices an orange glow in the distance and hears the sound of battle and off he heads in that direction. I will spare you the grim ending but note that Bierce is often reported as "Poe like" in his writing and is known for his disturbing realism. Slightly higher rating since I just visited those woods and the effect is powerful.

[Suhasa · Rating 4 out of 5]

chilling!

Kudos to the unknown narrator in Chickamauga - XpressEnglish

[Carol Ann Hoyt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a haunting story. I haven't been able to get it out of mind..and I read it back in 1992!

As I was reading it, I kept thinking these men were ghosts and that the child was somehow able to see them. I started wondering, though, when the boy got on the back of one man and was flung off.

This story summed up the horror of the Civil War. It was not romantic nor noble. The contrast between the dreadfully wounded men and the innocent child made quite an impact on me. The child apparently lost his mother in the battle, and he too became a victim of the war. War is ugly and brutal and spares no one.

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little boy goes wondering in the woods, gets lost overnight, and stumbles upon a very strange and somewhat horrifying spectacle of the night. Bierce's deliverance of this (to the child) seemingly supernatural aftermath to a what I assume was some kind of massacre during the American Civil War, is perfectly effective in being both creepy and disturbing.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the boy was literally seeing a spectral reenactment, but the ending proved it was all horribly real. I guess I never think about the small children who were helpless witnesses to all this carnage :(

[Paul LaFontaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A creepy story about a young boy on the battlefield of Chickamauga in the American Civil War. The contrast in how the boy sees what is happening with the adult's understanding of the horror involved is striking, and memorable. Another Bierce power story. Excellent, and highly recommended.

[Sofia The Great · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's was okay. I kept thinking the soldiers were ghost or zombies. which is a sign I read a lot of paranormal books. The story is about war seen through the eyes of a child.

[Susannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

when the soldier turned around i almost pooped. when he got to his house i almost pooped. The way he builds suspense is so... poopingly wonderful <3

[Leena Arul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chickamauga- Story by Ambrose Bierce

Oh the horrors of war-
As witnessed by a child. It first unravels in his eyes as a curious scene, then comical, later scary, moves on to be a drama, and ends up being part of the consequence of the horrific war.

The author does this by leafing out the battle of Chickamauga (had to look it up) a conclusive battle of the American Civil War fought between the Unions and Confederates in Georgia where the Unions had a bloody retreat.

As with any war, the blood, gore the awful waste of life is displayed as that which is witnessed unwittingly by a child who playfully strays from home, play acting as a warrior. Quickly disillusioned by his role confronted with the fearful reality in nature's woods, he dithers, by this multitude of soldiers retreating from the battle. The journey from ignorance to revelation is indeed quick when he is to suffer directly with loss of his home and the gruesome death of his mother.

Using various implements of narration in a short story, the narrator effectively takes us along the gory aftermath of war, which leaves the survivors mutilated and traumatized, giving us a grim reminder that there are no winners in a war.

[Marc D. ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5 estrellas.

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Omar Amat · Rating 5 out of 5]

shocking and heartbreaking.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bierce again shows us the horror of war. This time through the eyes of a six-year old boy.

[Emi · Rating 5 out of 5]

perturbador

[Caitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read parts of this book in the Mouse Book Club series.

[Leilin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very short read for a short story book club - This was my introduction to Ambrose Bierce, actually.

I really liked the allegorical flavor of this. The author shows in teeth-grinding details the atrocities of war, all the more shockingly so, that he frames it in stark contrast to the romanticized version his contemporary society deliberately chose to focus on, in the arts.

The little kid, dreaming of being one of the proud and dashing warriors depicted throughout paintings in his house, armed with his wooden sword, cannot understand actual war, even when he sees it. Like young soldiers sent to battle, the unnamed protagonist cannot fathom what any of this means, his fear fuels his pride and excitement, once it momentarily recedes, heightening his feelings and hopes... until he returns home to find that nothing is or will ever be as it was. The loss of innocence symbolized by the loss of his mother, the inability to feel at home again, forever changed by the experience of war, echoed by the burning house. Then the ending quietly lands its final blow to the reader: the little kid was deaf and mute all along, his senses keeping him somewhat disconnected from this new world he woke up to. A world he was never equipped to understand... like the youth we send to war, fed romanticized tales of heroism, kept entirely disconnected from the reality of the battlefields they are thrown into.