His clear style and lack of sentimentality have kept him popular when many of his contemporaries have become obscure. His dark, sardonic views and vehemence as a critic, earned him the nickname "Bitter Bierce". Such was Bierce's venerable reputation, that it was feared that his judgment on any contemporary fiction of the day could make or break a writer's career.
Early life and military career
Born in a rural area of
Meigs County, Ohio, Bierce lived during his adolescence in the town of
Elkhart, Indiana. At the outset of the
American Civil War, Bierce enlisted in the Ninth Regiment, Indiana Volunteers, as part of the
Union Army. In February
1862, he was commissioned as a first lieutenant and served on the staff of Gen.
William Babcock Hazen as a topographical engineer, making maps of likely battlefields. He fought bravely in several of the war's most important battles, at one point receiving newspaper attention for his daring rescue under fire of a gravely wounded comrade at the battle of
Girard Hill,
West Virginia. In June
1864, he received a serious head wound at the
Battle of Kennesaw Mountain and spent the rest of the summer on furlough, but returned to active duty in September, and was ultimately discharged from the army in January
1865.
His military career, however, resumed when, in the summer of 1866, he rejoined Gen. Hazen as part of the latter's expedition to inspect military outposts across the Western plains. The expedition proceeded by horseback and wagon from Omaha, Nebraska, arriving in San Francisco near the end of the year.
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Bierce, Ambrose - Twitter SearchAcquaintance, n.: A person whom we know well enough to borrow from, but not well enough to lend to.
Ambrose Biercehluette21 (Herman Luette) Sun, 18 Oct 2009 05:07:47 -0000
Acquaintance, n.: A person whom we know well enough to borrow from, but not well enough to lend to.
Ambrose Bierce
Quotation, n: The act of repeating erroneously the words of another. Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary #quotewipoolplayer (Denny Griffin) Sun, 18 Oct 2009 04:35:16 -0000
Quotation, n: The act of repeating erroneously the words of another. Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary #quote
RT @lovelytrinkets RT @UnseeingEyes: "Speak whn u'r angry, & u'll make-best speech u'll ever regret."#USE -Ambrose Bierce so true-me alotclaridad27 (Crystal) Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:18:00 -0000
RT @lovelytrinkets RT @UnseeingEyes: "Speak whn u'r angry, & u'll make-best speech u'll ever regret."#USE -Ambrose Bierce so true-me alot
RT @UnseeingEyes: "Speak when you are angry, and you will make the best speech you will ever regret."#USE -Ambrose Biercelovelytrinkets (Faith Petrusevski) Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:39:10 -0000
RT @UnseeingEyes: "Speak when you are angry, and you will make the best speech you will ever regret."#USE -Ambrose Bierce
"Speak when you are angry, and you will make the best speech you will ever regret."
#USE -Ambrose BierceUnseeingEyes (Vincenzo Scipioni) Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:38:10 -0000
"Speak when you are angry, and you will make the best speech you will ever regret."
#USE -Ambrose Bierce
Corporation: An ingenious device for obtaining profit without individual responsibility. - Ambrose BierceBrit_Motorcycle (Terry Tevault) Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:49:11 -0000
Corporation: An ingenious device for obtaining profit without individual responsibility. - Ambrose Bierce
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: Fact, Fiction and Fantasy - An investigative piece into the purported death of Bierce in Ojinaga, Chihuahua.
Meta Description: [ Ambrose Bierce, the Old Gringo: Fact, Fiction and Fantasy. ]
Ambrose Bierce - Includes biographical information, a literary overview, and links.
Ambrose Bierce Selected Works - Provides ebook of the Fantastic Fables, Can Such Things Be, An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge and Other Stories, all hyperlinked to the famous Devil's Dictionary. Downloadable demo of the ebook is available.
Meta Description: [ Ambrose G. Bierce, an ebook for the student and the curious by E-dition. Selected Works hyperlinked to the famous Devil's Dictionary ]
Ambrose Bierce, Forked Tongue - The story of Ambrose Bierce told in the language of his Devil's Dictionary, using hypertext language.
Don Swaim's The Ambrose Bierce Site - The myth and mind of Ambrose Bierce, with original prose and poetry. Links to other Bierce sites and scholarship, communication board, and Bierce in the news.
Edwin Markham's Poems - Review essay by Ambrose Bierce that criticises the poet for addressing political issues and appealing to the masses.
Meta Description: [ Ambrose Bierce reviews The Man with the Hoe and Other Poems by Edwin Markham, criticizing Markham for taking up a political role as labor leader that will hurt his poetry as he writes for the masses. ]