Summary

The short story “Chickamauga” by Ambrose Bierce begins with the presentation of a little boy of six who wanders into a forest near his home, unobserved by his relatives. He is happy he is about to live an adventure and, having his wooden sword with him; he looks for something to conquer. The boy’s ancestry is presented. He is the son of a poor planter who, in his youth, was a strong soldier. In fact, his ancestors were also fighters and victors, and the fire which fed wars also seems to burn in the child’s soul.

In the forest, the child is scared by a strange-looking rabbit. As he has never seen a rabbit standing upright, the boy is terrified and, wishing to escape the enemy, gets lost in the forest. After resting and sleeping for a few hours, the boy continues his journey. He soon sees something creeping and moving towards him. The boy in...