Ambrose Bierce was the tenth of thirteen children, all of whom were given names by their father beginning with the letter “A”: in order of birth, the Bierce siblings were Abigail, Amelia, Ann, Addison, Aurelius, Augustus, Almeda, Andrew, Albert, Ambrose, Arthur, Adelia, and Aurelia.
Ambrose Bierce was born on 24 June 1842 in a log cabin at Horse Cave Creek, Ohio, USA, to a large, rather unconventional family. He was of entirely English ancestry: all of his forebears migrated to North America between 1620 and 1640 as part of the Great Puritan Migration. His father, Marcus Bierce, was an eccentric, free-thinking man who greatly influenced Ambrose’s early years, and the family moved frequently. Ambrose grew up in poverty and had little formal schooling, but he was an avid reader from a young age. His thirst for knowledge was fuelled by books, which would lay the foundation for his future literary pursuits.
By his late teens, Bierce joined the United States Military Academy, but didn’t graduate. Instead, he left in 1861, just as the Civil War was heating up, and enlisted as a private in the Union Army. His experiences during the war were intense and would later serve as the backdrop for many of his most famous works, especially his tales of the battlefield. He rose through the ranks, eventually serving as an officer, but the war left deep marks on him, both physically and emotionally.
After the war, Bierce moved to San Francisco, immersing himself in the city’s literary scene. He started working as a journalist, contributing to various newspapers and developing his distinctive voice—sharp, cynical, and darkly humorous. His early writings, filled with biting social commentary, earned him a reputation as a fierce critic. During this time, he also wrote short stories, poems, and sketches that would later become hallmarks of his literary career, such as the haunting An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. He also wrote The Devil’s Dictionary, a collection of satirical definitions that showcased his sharp wit and cynicism.
Bierce’s literary pursuits blossomed as he published works that captured the complexities of human nature, especially in the face of war and death. His cynical, no-nonsense approach to storytelling resonated with readers, though it also earned him a reputation as a difficult and often misunderstood figure. Despite his success, Bierce’s personal life was marked by tragedy, and by the early 1900s, he had become a bit of a recluse. His mysterious disappearance in 1913 only added to his enigmatic legacy.
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