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Dive into Ambrose Bierce's "Killed at Resaca," a powerful and haunting short story that explores the complex themes of heroism, bravery, and the brutal reality of the Civil War. This audiobook summary delves into the tragic tale of Lieutenant Brayle, a man who demonstrates a reckless disregard for his own life on the battlefield, mystifying his fellow soldiers. We analyze the shocking twist ending and its cynical commentary on the perception of courage and love.
Ambrose Bierce, a veteran of the Civil War himself, uses his unique brand of dark realism and biting satire to challenge conventional notions of heroism. "Killed at Resaca" is a masterclass in his literary style, with vivid battlefield descriptions and a narrative that blurs the lines between reality and a grim psychological truth. This story, part of his famous collection Tales of Soldiers and Civilians, offers a profound look at the psychological toll of war and the surprising motivations behind a soldier's actions.
Join us as we dissect the symbolism, character motivations, and the unforgettable twist that makes this a classic piece of American literature. Whether you're a student, a history buff, or a fan of classic short stories, this summary will give you a deeper appreciation for Bierce's work.
Ambrose Bierce, a veteran of the Civil War himself, uses his unique brand of dark realism and biting satire to challenge conventional notions of heroism. "Killed at Resaca" is a masterclass in his literary style, with vivid battlefield descriptions and a narrative that blurs the lines between reality and a grim psychological truth. This story, part of his famous collection Tales of Soldiers and Civilians, offers a profound look at the psychological toll of war and the surprising motivations behind a soldier's actions.
Join us as we dissect the symbolism, character motivations, and the unforgettable twist that makes this a classic piece of American literature. Whether you're a student, a history buff, or a fan of classic short stories, this summary will give you a deeper appreciation for Bierce's work.
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00:00Gates of Imagination presents Killed at Resaca by Ambrose Bierce, read by Billy Dixon.
00:10The best soldier of our staff was Lieutenant Herman Braille, one of the two aides to camp.
00:17I don't remember where the general picked him up, from some Ohio regiment, I think.
00:23None of us had previously known him, and it would have been strange if we had,
00:28for no two of us came from the same state, nor even from adjoining states.
00:33The general seemed to think that a position on his staff was a distinction that should be so judiciously conferred
00:39as not to beget any sectional jealousies and imperil the integrity of that part of the country which was still an integer.
00:48He would not even choose officers from his own command,
00:51but by some jugglery at department headquarters obtained them from other brigades.
00:55Under such circumstances, a man's services had to be very distinguished indeed to be heard of by his family
01:03and the friends of his youth, and the speaking trump of fame was a trifle hoarse from loquacity anyhow.
01:11Lieutenant Braille was more than six feet in height and of splendid proportions,
01:16with the light hair and gray-blue eyes which men so gifted usually find associated with a high order of courage.
01:23As he was commonly in full uniform, especially in action,
01:28when most officers are content to be less flamboyantly attired,
01:33he was a very striking and conspicuous figure.
01:37As to the rest, he had a gentleman's manners, a scholar's head, and a lion's heart.
01:44His age was about thirty.
01:45We all soon came to like Braille, as much as we admired him,
01:52and it was with sincere concern that in the engagement at Stones River,
01:56our first action after he joined us,
01:59we observed that he had one most objectionable and unsoldierly quality.
02:04He was vain of his courage.
02:06During all the vicissitudes and mutations of that hideous encounter,
02:10whether our troops were fighting in the open cotton fields,
02:14in the cedar thickets, or behind the railway embankment,
02:17he did not once take cover,
02:20except when sternly commanded to do so by the general,
02:23who usually had other things to think of than the lives of his staff officers,
02:28or those of his men, for that matter.
02:31In every later engagement while Braille was with us, it was the same way.
02:35He would sit his horse like an equestrian statue in a storm of bullets and grape,
02:42in the most exposed places,
02:44wherever, in fact, duty requiring him to go permitted him to remain,
02:49when without trouble and with distinct advantage to his reputation for common sense,
02:54he might have been in such security as is possible on a battlefield
02:58in the brief intervals of personal inaction.
03:00On foot, from necessity or in deference to his dismounted commander or associates,
03:07his conduct was the same.
03:10He would stand like a rock in the open when officers and men alike had taken to cover.
03:15While men older in service and years, higher in rank and of unquestionable intrepidity,
03:21were loyally preserving behind the crest of a hill lives infinitely precious to their country,
03:27this fellow would stand equally idle on the ridge,
03:32facing in the direction of the sharpest fire.
03:36When battles are going on in open ground,
03:39it frequently occurs that the opposing lines,
03:42confronting each other within a stone's throw for hours,
03:46hug the earth as closely as if they loved it.
03:49The line officers in their proper places flatten themselves no less,
03:54and the field officers, their horses all killed or sent to the rear,
03:58crouch beneath the infernal canopy of hissing lead
04:01and screaming iron without a thought of personal dignity.
04:06In such circumstances, the life of a staff officer of a brigade
04:10is distinctly not a happy one,
04:12mainly because of its precarious tenure
04:15and the unnerving alternations of emotion to which he is exposed.
04:20From a position of that comparative security
04:22from which a civilian would ascribe his escape to a miracle,
04:27he may be dispatched with an order to some commander
04:29of a prone regiment in the front line,
04:32a person for the moment inconspicuous
04:34and not always easy to find
04:36without a deal of search among men somewhat preoccupied,
04:39and in a din in which question and answer alike
04:42must be imparted in the sign language.
04:45It is customary in such cases
04:47to duck the head and scuttle away on a keen run,
04:50an object of lively interest
04:52to some thousands of admiring marksmen.
04:56In returning, well, it is not customary to return.
05:01Braille's practice was different.
05:03He would consign his horse to the care of an orderly,
05:06he loved his horse,
05:07and walked quietly away on his perilous errand
05:11with never a stoop of the back,
05:13his splendid figure,
05:14accentuated by his uniform,
05:17holding the eye with a strange fascination.
05:20We watched him with suspended breath,
05:23our hearts in our mouths.
05:25On one occasion of this kind, indeed,
05:28one of our number,
05:29an impetuous stammerer,
05:31was so possessed by his emotion
05:33that he shouted at me,
05:34I'll bet you two dollars they drop him
05:37before he gets to that ditch.
05:39I did not accept the brutal wager.
05:42I thought they would.
05:45Let me do justice to a brave man's memory.
05:49In all these needless exposures of life,
05:52there was no visible bravado
05:53nor subsequent narration.
05:56In the few instances
05:57when some of us had ventured to remonstrate,
06:00Braille had smiled pleasantly
06:02and made some light reply,
06:04which, however,
06:06had not encouraged a further pursuit of the subject.
06:09Once he said,
06:11Captain,
06:12if ever I come to grief
06:14by forgetting your advice,
06:16I hope my last moments
06:18will be cheered
06:18by the sound of your beloved voice
06:20breathing into my ear
06:22the blessed words,
06:24I told you so.
06:25We laughed at the captain,
06:29just why we could probably
06:31not have explained.
06:32And that afternoon,
06:34when he was shot to rags
06:35from an ambuscade,
06:37Braille remained by the body
06:38for some time,
06:39adjusting the limbs
06:40with needless care,
06:42there in the middle of a road
06:44swept by gusts of grape
06:45and canister.
06:47It is easy to condemn
06:49this kind of thing
06:50and not very difficult
06:51to refrain from imitation,
06:53but it is impossible
06:55not to respect,
06:56and Braille was liked
06:57nonetheless
06:58for the weakness
06:59which had so heroic
07:00an expression.
07:02We wished he were not a fool,
07:04but he went on
07:05that way to the end,
07:06sometimes hard hit,
07:08but always returning to duty
07:10about as good as new.
07:12Of course,
07:13it came at last.
07:15He who ignores
07:15the law of probabilities
07:17challenges an adversary
07:18that is seldom beaten.
07:21It was at Resica,
07:22in Georgia,
07:23during the movement
07:24that resulted
07:25in the taking of Atlanta.
07:27In front of our brigade,
07:29the enemy's line
07:30of earthworks
07:31ran through open fields
07:32along a slight crest.
07:35At each end
07:35of this open ground
07:37we were close up
07:37to him in the woods,
07:39but the clear ground
07:40we could not hope
07:41to occupy until night,
07:43when darkness
07:44would enable us
07:45to burrow like moles
07:46and throw up earth.
07:48At this point,
07:49our line was
07:50a quarter mile away
07:51in the edge of a wood.
07:53Roughly,
07:54we formed a semicircle,
07:55the enemy's fortified line
07:57being the cord of the arc.
07:58Lieutenant,
08:01go tell Colonel Ward
08:03to work up as close
08:04as he can get cover
08:05and not to waste
08:06much ammunition
08:07in unnecessary firing.
08:10You may leave
08:11your horse.
08:12When the general
08:13gave this direction,
08:14we were in the fringe
08:15of the forest,
08:16near the right extremity
08:17of the arc.
08:18Colonel Ward
08:19was at the left.
08:21The suggestion
08:21to leave the horse
08:22obviously enough
08:24meant that Braille
08:24was to take
08:25the longer line,
08:27through the woods
08:27and among the men.
08:29Indeed,
08:30the suggestion
08:31was needless.
08:33To go by the short route
08:34meant absolutely
08:35certain failure
08:36to deliver the message.
08:38Before anybody
08:39could interpose,
08:41Braille had cantered
08:41lightly into the field
08:43and the enemy's works
08:44were in crackling conflagration.
08:47Stop that damned fool!
08:49shouted the general.
08:51A private of the escort,
08:52with more ambition
08:53than brains,
08:55spurred forward to obey
08:56and within ten yards
08:58left himself
08:59and his horse
09:00dead on the field of honor.
09:03Braille was beyond recall,
09:05galloping easily along,
09:07parallel to the enemy
09:08and less than
09:09two hundred yards distant.
09:11He was a picture to see.
09:14His hat had been blown
09:15or shot from his head
09:16and his long blonde hair
09:18rose and fell
09:19with the motion of his horse.
09:21He sat erect
09:23in the saddle,
09:24holding the reins
09:24lightly in his left hand,
09:26his right
09:27hanging carelessly
09:28at his side.
09:30An occasional glimpse
09:31of his handsome profile
09:32as he turned his head
09:33one way or the other
09:35proved that the interest
09:36which he took
09:37in what was going on
09:38was natural
09:39and without affectation.
09:42The picture
09:43was intensely dramatic,
09:45but in no degree theatrical.
09:47Successive scores
09:48of rifles spat at him
09:50viciously as he came
09:51within range
09:52and our own line
09:53on the edge of the timber
09:54broke out
09:55in visible and audible defense.
09:57No longer regardful
09:59of themselves
09:59or their orders,
10:01our fellows sprang
10:01to their feet
10:02and swarming into the open
10:04sent broad sheets
10:05of bullets
10:06against the blazing crest
10:08of the offending works,
10:09which poured
10:10an answering fire
10:11into their unprotected groups
10:13with deadly effect.
10:14The artillery
10:15on both sides
10:17joined the battle,
10:18punctuating the rattle
10:19and roar
10:20with deep,
10:21earth-shaking explosions
10:22and tearing the air
10:24with storms
10:24of screaming grape,
10:26which from the enemy's side
10:27splintered the trees
10:28and spattered them
10:29with blood,
10:30and from ours
10:31defiled the smoke
10:32of his arms
10:33with banks
10:34and clouds of dust
10:36from his parapet.
10:37My attention
10:38had been for a moment
10:39drawn to the general combat,
10:42but now,
10:42glancing down
10:43the unobscured avenue
10:45between these two
10:46thunderclouds,
10:47I saw Braille,
10:48the cause of the carnage.
10:51Invisible now
10:52from either side
10:53and equally doomed
10:54by friend and foe,
10:56he stood
10:56in the shot-swept space,
10:58motionless,
11:00his face
11:00toward the enemy.
11:02At some little distance
11:04lay his horse.
11:06I instantly saw
11:07what had stopped him.
11:08As topographical engineer,
11:10I had early in the day
11:12made a hasty examination
11:13of the ground
11:14and now remembered
11:16that at that point
11:17was a deep
11:17and sinuous gully
11:19crossing half the field
11:20from the enemy's line,
11:22its general course
11:23at right angles to it.
11:25From where we now were,
11:26it was invisible,
11:28and Braille
11:28had evidently
11:29not known about it.
11:31Clearly,
11:31it was impassable.
11:33Its salient angles
11:35would have afforded him
11:36absolute security
11:37if he had chosen
11:38to be satisfied
11:39with the miracle
11:39already wrought
11:40in his favor
11:41and leapt into it.
11:43He could not go forward.
11:45He would not turn back.
11:47He stood awaiting death.
11:49It did not keep him
11:51long waiting.
11:53By some mysterious coincidence,
11:56almost instantaneously
11:57as he fell,
11:58the firing ceased,
12:00a few desultory shots
12:01at long intervals
12:03serving rather to accentuate
12:05than break the silence.
12:06It was as if both sides
12:09had suddenly repented
12:10of their profitless crime.
12:13Four stretcher-bearers
12:14of ours,
12:15following a sergeant
12:16with a white flag,
12:17soon afterward
12:18moved unmolested
12:19into the field
12:20and made straight
12:21for Braille's body.
12:23Several Confederate officers
12:25and men
12:26came out to meet them,
12:27and with uncovered heads,
12:29assisted them
12:30to take up
12:30their sacred burden.
12:32As it was borne toward us,
12:34we heard beyond
12:35the hostile works,
12:36fifes,
12:37and a muffled drum,
12:39a dirge.
12:40A generous enemy
12:41honored the fallen brave.
12:44Amongst the dead man's effects
12:45was a soiled
12:46Russia-leather pocketbook.
12:48In the distribution
12:49of mementos
12:50of our friend,
12:51which the general,
12:52as administrator,
12:53decreed,
12:54this fell to me.
12:56A year after
12:57the close of the war,
12:58on my way to California,
13:00I opened
13:01and idly inspected it.
13:03Out of an overlooked
13:05compartment
13:06fell a letter
13:06without envelope
13:07or address.
13:09It was in a woman's
13:10handwriting
13:11and began with words
13:12of endearment,
13:13but no name.
13:15It had the following
13:16dateline.
13:18San Francisco,
13:19California,
13:20July 9,
13:211862.
13:23The signature was
13:24Darling,
13:25in marks of quotation.
13:28Incidentally,
13:29in the body
13:29of the text,
13:30the writer's full name
13:31was given,
13:32Marion Mendenhall.
13:34The letter showed
13:35evidence of cultivation
13:36and good breeding,
13:38but it was an ordinary
13:39love letter,
13:40if a love letter
13:41can be ordinary.
13:43There was not much in it,
13:44but there was something.
13:46It was this.
13:48Mr. Winters,
13:50whom I shall always hate
13:51for it,
13:52has been telling
13:53that at some battle
13:54in Virginia,
13:56where he got his hurt,
13:57you were seen
13:58crouching behind a tree.
14:01I think he wants
14:02to injure you
14:02in my regard,
14:04which he knows
14:04the story would do
14:06if I believed it.
14:08I could bear to hear
14:09of my soldier lover's death,
14:12but not of his cowardice.
14:15These were the words
14:16which,
14:17on that sunny afternoon
14:18in a distant region,
14:20had slain a hundred men.
14:22Is woman weak?
14:23One evening,
14:26I called on Miss Mendenhall
14:28to return the letter to her.
14:30I intended also
14:31to tell her
14:32what she had done,
14:33but not that she did it.
14:35I found her
14:36in a handsome dwelling
14:37on Rincon Hill.
14:39She was beautiful,
14:40well-bred,
14:41in a word,
14:42charming.
14:43You knew
14:43Lieutenant Herman Braille,
14:45I said,
14:46rather abruptly.
14:47You know doubtless
14:48that he fell in battle.
14:50Among his effects
14:51was found
14:52this letter from you.
14:53My errand here
14:55is to place it
14:55in your hands.
14:57She mechanically
14:58took the letter,
14:59glanced through it
15:00with deepening color,
15:02and then,
15:03looking at me
15:03with a smile,
15:04said,
15:05It is very good of you,
15:07though I am sure
15:08it was hardly worthwhile.
15:10She started suddenly
15:12and changed color.
15:14This stain,
15:15she said,
15:16is it?
15:17Surely it is not.
15:19Madam,
15:20I said,
15:21pardon me,
15:21but that is the blood
15:23of the truest
15:24and bravest heart
15:25that ever beat.
15:27She hastily
15:28flung the letter
15:29on the blazing coals.
15:31I cannot bear
15:32the sight of blood,
15:33she said.
15:34How did he die?
15:37I had involuntarily
15:38risen to rescue
15:39that scrap of paper,
15:40sacred even to me,
15:42and now stood
15:43partly behind her.
15:44As she asked
15:45the question,
15:46she turned her face
15:46about and slightly upward.
15:48The light
15:50of the burning letter
15:51was reflected
15:51in her eyes
15:52and touched her cheek
15:54with a tinge
15:54of crimson
15:55like the stain
15:56upon its page.
15:58I had never seen
15:59anything so beautiful
16:01as this detestable creature.
16:04He was bitten
16:05by a snake,
16:06I replied.
16:07Thank you for listening
16:13to this audiobook.
16:14If you enjoyed
16:15this story,
16:16don't forget
16:17to give it a thumbs up
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