Structure

Looking at the overall structure of a short story like “Chickamauga” by Ambrose Bierce is important, as it can help you better analyze the text. 

The plot of “Chickamauga” can be summarized as follows: a boy of six wanders far from his home into a forest, in search of adventure. He encounters hundreds of wounded soldiers and, entertained; he imagines that he is their leader. The boy discovers his home and plantation have been set on fire, and he can only watch in horror.

Title

The title of the short story, “Chickamauga”, is quite representative of what readers are about to discover. A simple research reveals that the Battle of Chickamauga was the second biggest battle between the Union and the Confederacy in the American Civil War. The battle was fought in 1863, and the number of deaths and wounded was immense. The victory belonged to C...