Chickamauga

Ambrose Bierce’s “Chickamauga” describes the 1863 Civil War battle in Northern Georgia known for bitter fighting and heavy casualties. A child stumbles onto the battlefield and witnesses the horror of heavily wounded combatants retreating and staggering to their death. Dreamlike and surreal, the story contrasts the innocence of the child with the terrible realities of war. As with many Bierce stories, a profound and surprising flourish brings the story to a conclusion.