Ambrose Bierce, one of the most popular authors of the late 19th century, known for his short story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," political satire pamphlet "The Devil's Dictionary," and for his mysterious disappearance in Mexico in 1913. He served with the Union army in the western theater of the Civil War. He fought at Shiloh and Chickamauga and was seriously wounded at Kennesaw Mountain. He wrote the following story based on his experiences at Chickamauga.