A Hanging Bridge in the Civil War
As the sounds of gunfire and cannon blasts echoed through the countryside, a small group of Confederate soldiers made their way through the dense forests of Virginia. They had been on the run for days, trying to evade the Union army that was hot on their heels. The men were tired, hungry, and covered in dirt and sweat, but they knew they had to keep moving.
As they trudged through the underbrush, they came across a narrow hanging bridge that spanned a deep ravine. The bridge was old and rickety, with only a few planks of wood separating them from the rocky ravine below.
The soldiers hesitated for a moment, not wanting to risk crossing the dangerous bridge. But they knew they had no other choice. The Union army was getting closer, and they had to find a way across the ravine.
Grimly, the men began to make their way across the hanging bridge, one step at a time. The bridge swayed and creaked under their weight, and the men could feel their hearts pounding in their chests.
Halfway across the bridge, one of the soldiers lost his footing and slipped off the edge. He let out a terrified scream as he plunged towards the ravine below.
The other soldiers froze in horror, not knowing what to do. But then, one of their comrades, a young man named John, stepped forward. Without a moment's hesitation, he lunged towards the edge of the bridge and grabbed hold of the falling soldier's hand.
With all his strength, John pulled the man back up onto the bridge, saving his life. The other soldiers watched in amazement as John hoisted the man to safety, their respect for him growing in that moment.
After that close call, the soldiers made it across the hanging bridge and escaped the Union army, thanks in part to John's bravery. And as they continued their journey through the Civil War, they remembered the hanging bridge and the bravery of their comrade, who had risked his life to save another.
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Story Analysis With Summary/Theme
The finale of the story is unexpected and shocking — when it seems that everything is finally over and the man is in safety now, it appears that he is long dead and his body is flowing in the river with the broken neck. Bierce commented on the issue in his written work: We human insects care for nothing but ourselves, and think that is best which most closely touches such emotions and sentiments as grow out of our relations, the one with another. Importantly, letting go of fear is the first step to embracing life. Then, suddenly, he could not swim. A lieutenant stood at the right of the line, the point of his sword upon the ground, his left hand resting upon his right. He looks at the stream again and reasons that if he can manage to free his hands, he may be able to slip out of the noose and jump into the river. The commandant has issued an order, which is posted everywhere, declaring that any civilian caught interfering with the railroad, its bridges, tunnels, or trains will be summarily hanged.
Short Stories: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce
How slowly it appeared to move, What a sluggish stream! Being a slave owner and like other slave owners a politician, he was naturally an original secessionist and ardently devoted to the Southern cause. Rogers, William Warren, Robert David Ward, Leah Rawls Atkins, and Wayne Flynt. The end of the war was approaching, but the president did not strike a triumphal tone, choosing instead to question why Providence had visited the terrible war on the American people and using biblical allusion to ponder some of the painful and troubling questions the war had wrought. As he pushes open the gate and passes up the wide white walk, he sees a flutter of female garments; his wife, looking fresh and cool and sweet, steps down from the veranda to meet him. That opportunity, he felt, would come, as it comes to all in war time.
