An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

Ambrose Bierce

Nov 2022 · Open Road Media

About this ebook

This classic short story of a Southern plantation owner facing execution by Union soldiers is “a flawless example of American genius” (Kurt Vonnegut).

Alabama planter Peyton Farquhar was loyal to the Confederate cause. Now, as the Union Army overtakes the South, he is brought to the edge of a railroad bridge—hands tied behind his back—sentenced to hang for attempting to burn down the bridge on which he stands. As he ponders the events both large and small that brought him to this moment, Farquhar also contemplates a daring escape.

First published in 1890, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge is one of the most celebrated short stories in American literature. Included in Ambrose Bierce’s anthology, Tales of Soldiers and Civilians, its unique structure and stream of consciousness style have inspired numerous adaptions and countless imitators.

About the author

Ambrose Bierce was an American short story writer, journalist, poet, and Civil War veteran. A prolific and versatile writer, Bierce was regarded as one of the most influential journalists in the United States, and as a pioneering writer of realist fiction. His story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” has been described as “one of the most famous and frequently anthologized stories in American literature.”