A Horseman in the Sky

Last updated
A Horseman in the Sky
A Horseman in the Sky.png
Author Ambrose Bierce
Country United States
LanguageEnglish
PublishedApril 14, 1889
Publisher The Examiner

"A Horseman in the Sky" is a heavily anthologized short story by American Civil War soldier, wit, and writer Ambrose Bierce. It was published on April 14, 1889 under the title The Horseman in the Sky in the Sunday edition of The Examiner , a San Francisco newspaper owned by William Randolph Hearst. [1] It is set during the American Civil War and is one of Bierce's best known war stories. Bierce revised the story for his book Tales of Soldiers and Civilians .

Contents

Plot summary

A soldier lies on the ground on the lookout for the terrain and any potential enemy soldiers that might arrive. He falls asleep but luckily is not discovered by his sergeant as it would mean his death. When he awakes, he sees a mounted Confederate soldier on a ledge. He contemplates to shoot the man but finds himself morally challenged. In the end, he shoots the horse. Both the man and his horse leap off the ledge.

An officer who happens to be in the forest under the ledge looks up and sees a man on a horse, seemingly running through the sky. It shocks him and he all but passes out. When he recovers he goes searching for the man but does not find man or horse. When he returns to camp, he says nothing. Meanwhile, a superior comes up to the soldier to ask what he's seen and the soldier tells him that he shot at a horse in order to kill the man. When asked to identify the man, he explains the man was his father and a Confederate soldier.

Analysis

"A Horseman in the Sky" highlights the destructive impact of the war on a single family. [2] The central character is a young Virginian, named Carter Druse, who decides to fight for the Union, betraying his state. He finds himself unavoidably having to kill a Confederate horseman spy, who is his father. The story cycles around the considerations and feelings of this young man. In the first version of the story, Druse, presented with an impossible choice between patriotic duty and filial obedience, loses his mind. [2]

It has been argued that Bierce's rewriting of the tale, and Carter Druse's reaction to his father's death, reflects the author's attempt to come to terms with his own wartime trauma, specifically his head wound that has been diagnosed as a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). [3]

The setting with a cliff is essential for the story to work. Having been a topographical officer in the Civil War, Bierce describes the setting in much detail, showing his talent for topographical rendering. [4] The image of a falling Confederate officer is supposed to present (for Federals a thousand feet below) "a grandly grotesque image that seems to herald the Apocalypse". [5]

Bierce apparently considered "A Horseman in the Sky" one of his strongest stories, because he chose to begin his Tales of Soldiers and Civilians with this story. [2] From a Freudian perspective, "A Horseman in the Sky" exemplifies "Bierce's compulsive acts of patricide". [6] Some of Bierce's biographers argue that he "wrote too many stories about sons killing fathers", as evidenced by stories in his so-called "Patricide Club". [4]

Influence

Carlos Fuentes's novel The Old Gringo (1985), a fictionalized account of Bierce's disappearance, contains numerous allusions to "A Horseman in the Sky". [7]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Red Badge of Courage</i> 1895 war novel by Stephen Crane

The Red Badge of Courage is a war novel by American author Stephen Crane (1871–1900). Taking place during the American Civil War, the story is about a young private of the Union Army, Henry Fleming, who flees from the field of battle. Overcome with shame, he longs for a wound, a "red badge of courage", to counteract his cowardice. When his regiment once again faces the enemy, Henry acts as flag-bearer, carrying the regimental colors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celephaïs</span> 1922 short story by H. P. Lovecraft

"Celephaïs" is a fantasy story by American horror fiction writer H. P. Lovecraft, written in early November 1920 and first published in the May 1922 issue of the Rainbow. The title refers to a fictional city that later appears in Lovecraft's Dream Cycle, including his novella The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath (1926).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge</span> 1890 short story by Ambrose Bierce

"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" (1890) is a short story by American writer and Civil War veteran Ambrose Bierce, described as "one of the most famous and frequently anthologized stories in American literature". It was originally published by The San Francisco Examiner on July 13, 1890, and was first collected in Bierce's book Tales of Soldiers and Civilians (1891). The story is set during the American Civil War and is known for its irregular time sequence and twist ending. Bierce's abandonment of strict linear narration in favor of the internal mind of the protagonist is an early example of the stream of consciousness narrative mode.

"An Inhabitant of Carcosa" is a short story by American Civil War veteran, wit, and writer Ambrose Bierce. It was first published in the San Francisco Newsletter of December 25, 1886 and was later reprinted as part of Bierce's collections Tales of Soldiers and Civilians and Can Such Things Be?

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Pickett's Mill</span> Battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of Pickett's Mill was fought in Paulding County, Georgia, between Union forces under Major General William Tecumseh Sherman and Confederate forces led by General Joseph E. Johnston during the Atlanta Campaign in the American Civil War. Sherman sent Brigadier General Thomas J. Wood's division, supported by other formations, to turn Johnston's right flank, but the Federals were repulsed with heavy casualties when they ran into tenacious Confederate opposition. Author Ambrose Bierce, an eyewitness, later wrote an account of the battle titled The Crime at Pickett's Mill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">9th Indiana Infantry Regiment</span> Military unit

The 9th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was organized on April 22, 1861, for three-months' service in Indianapolis. After being reorganized for three years' service in late August and early September 1861, the 9th took part in many major battles, including Shiloh, Stones River, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Kennesaw Mountain and the Siege of Atlanta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ambrose Bierce</span> American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist, and satirist

Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce was an American short story writer, journalist, poet, and American Civil War veteran. His book The Devil's Dictionary was named one of "The 100 Greatest Masterpieces of American Literature" by the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration. His story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" has been described as "one of the most famous and frequently anthologized stories in American literature", and his book Tales of Soldiers and Civilians was named by the Grolier Club one of the 100 most influential American books printed before 1900.

<i>Tales of Soldiers and Civilians</i> 1892 collection of short stories by Ambrose Bierce

Tales of Soldiers and Civilians is a collection of short stories by American Civil War soldier, wit, and writer Ambrose Bierce, also published under the title In the Midst of Life. With a stated publication date of 1891 the stories describe unusual incidents in the lives of soldiers and civilians during the American Civil War. Tales of Soldiers and Civilians was named by the Grolier Club as one of the 100 most influential American books printed before 1900, stating "These short stories are among the finest, and best known, in American literature. ... Written in a clear simple style, with each phrase contributing to the total effect, Bierce's tales pointed the way for the American short-story writer." Bierce's famous story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is included in this collection.

"The Moonlit Road" is a gothic horror short story by American Civil War soldier, wit, and writer Ambrose Bierce. It first appeared in a 1907 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine, illustrated by Charles B. Falls. This story is presented in three parts and relates the tale of the murder of Julia Hetman from the perspective of her son, a man who may be her husband, and Julia herself, through a medium.

"Killed at Resaca" is a short story by American Civil War soldier, wit, and writer Ambrose Bierce. First published in The San Francisco Examiner on June 5, 1887, it was later included in Bierce's Tales of Soldiers and Civilians in 1891.

"The Man and the Snake" is a short story by American Civil War soldier, wit, and writer Ambrose Bierce. It tells of a man who dies of fright inspired by a toy snake with buttons for eyes. The story was published in The San Francisco Examiner on June 29, 1890.

"The Eyes of the Panther" is a short story by American Civil War soldier, wit, and writer Ambrose Bierce featuring a female werepanther. It was published in The San Francisco Examiner on 17 October, 1897 before appearing in his 1898 collection In the Midst of Life.

"The Boarded Window: An Incident in the Life of an Ohio Pioneer" is a short story by American Civil War soldier and writer Ambrose Bierce. It was first published in The San Francisco Examiner on April 12, 1891, and was reprinted the same year in Bierce's collection Tales of Soldiers and Civilians. The setting for the story is the part of Ohio where Bierce's family lived until 1846.

"The Middle Toe of the Right Foot" is a ghost story by American Civil War soldier, wit, and writer Ambrose Bierce. It was first published in The San Francisco Examiner on April 17, 1890, and was reprinted the following year as part of Tales of Soldiers and Civilians.

"One of Twins" is a short story by American Civil War soldier, wit, and writer Ambrose Bierce exploring a telepathic connection between the twins. It was first published in The San Francisco Examiner on October 28, 1888 and was included in Bierce's 1893 collection of supernatural tales Can Such Things Be?

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Death of Halpin Frayser</span> Short story by Ambrose Bierce

"The Death of Halpin Frayser" is a Gothic ghost story by Ambrose Bierce. It was first published in the San Francisco periodical The Wave on December 19, 1891 before appearing in the 1893 collection Can Such Things Be?

"One of the Missing" is a short story by American Civil War soldier, wit, and writer Ambrose Bierce. It was first published in The San Francisco Examiner on March 11, 1888 and was reprinted in Tales of Soldiers and Civilians (1891).

"A Tough Tussle" is a short story by American Civil War soldier, wit, and writer Ambrose Bierce. It was published on the first page of the Sunday supplement to The San Francisco Examiner on September 30, 1888 and was reprinted in Tales of Soldiers and Civilians (1891).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Realm of the Unreal</span>

"The Realm of the Unreal" is a short story by American Civil War soldier, wit, and writer Ambrose Bierce. It appeared in The San Francisco Examiner on July 20, 1890 and was reprinted in the 1893 collection Can Such Things Be?

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hazen Brigade Monument</span>

The Hazen Brigade Monument at Stones River National Battlefield, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is the oldest American Civil War monument remaining in its original battlefield location.

References

  1. ↑ David M. Owens. The Devil's Topographer: Ambrose Bierce and the American War Story. Univ. of Tennessee Press, 2006. ISBN   9781572334649. P. 28.
  2. 1 2 3 Donald T. Blume. Ambrose Bierce's Civilians and Soldiers in Context: A Critical Study. Kent State University Press, 2004. ISBN   9780873387781. P. 145, 245-246.
  3. ↑ Keeler, Kyle (Summer 2019). "'I thought this is a bad dream and tried to cry out': Sleep as Trauma in the Fiction of Ambrose Bierce". Midwest Quarterly: A Journal of Contemporary Thought. 60.
  4. 1 2 Robert L. Gale. An Ambrose Bierce Companion. Greenwood Publishing, 2001. ISBN   9780313311307. P. 133.
  5. ↑ Østermark-Johansen, Lene (2003-01-01). Romantic Generations: Text, Authority and Posterity in British Romanticism. Museum Tusculanum Press. ISBN   9788772898605.
  6. ↑ Roy Morris. Ambrose Bierce: Alone in Bad Company. Oxford University Press, 1995. P.32.
  7. ↑ The Cambridge History of Latin American Literature. Vol. 2. Cambridge University Press, 1996. ISBN   9780521340700. P. 293.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.