I C A N U S E C O N T E XT C LU E S T O D E T E R M I N E M E A N I N G O F W O R D S .

I C A N A N N O TAT E A T E XT I N O R D E R T O C O M P L E T E A L I T E RA RY A N A LY S I S .

I C A N S U M M A R I Z E A T E XT A N D D E T E R M I N E I T S C E N T RA L I D E A .

“CHICKAMAUGA” BY AMBROSE BIERCE

WRITER’S NOTEBOOK

• Today is Monday, August 25, 2014.• Answer thoughtfully and in paragraph format.

• Prompt: What are your thoughts on war? Are they positive/negative/conflicted? Can war be positive? When? Explain.

BACKGROUND

• Bierce writes, “They were men. They crept upon their hands and knees. They used their hands only, dragging their legs. They used their knees only, their arms hanging idle at their sides. They strove to rise to their feet, but fell prone in the attempt.” Through chilling words Ambrose Bierce illustrated the battlefield at Chickamauga in his short story, Chickamauga. Bierce, a writer and soldier, held a view of the battlefield of Chickamauga on September 19-20,1863, that few knew. His rank kept him acquainted with the everyday solider, but his horse and job gave him a vision that the ordinary soldier was not afforded. Bierce was a member of the 9th Indiana Infantry Regiment under William B. Hazen. His unit was at the core of the fighting under General Thomas’s forces on Snodgrass Hill during the Battle of Chickamauga. This was not only one of the most important battles of the Civil War but also for Ambrose Bierce.

• Before Chickamauga, Bierce had been an infantryman in Hazen’s Brigade. After attracting the attention of his superiors, Bierce was promoted in April of 1863 to Hazen’s acting topographical officer, “his commander’s personal map maker who became his ‘eyes’ prior to battle”, writes David Owens. This role of topographical officer was at the center stage of any officer corps but was often overlooked. Chickamauga was his first major battle with his new title. His new role required him to be very familiar with the battlefield terrain, and this familiarity made Bierce’s memoir significant as it provided him a larger view of battle as he roamed on horseback, was in constant contact with high-level officers, and was directly involved in strategic high-ranking military planning. Moving from infantryman to staff officer greatly expanded his view of the war, and this would be reflected in his later writings.

CLIP

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw7t_P9Pe_I

While watching the clip, write down questions or thoughts that you may have.Make predictions about the story. Write down two predictions.

“CHICKAMAUGA”

• Read and annotate the text.• Highlight examples of imagery.• Mark examples of foreshadowing.• How did Ambrose Bierce use the element of

surprise?

VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT: HIGHLIGHT THE WORDS IN THE STORY AND USE CONTEXT CLUES TO DETERMINE MEANING

• Stupefied• Conspicuous• Conflagration• Intrepid• Prudence• Inarticulate• Brambles• Immemorial• Acclivity• Inexhaustible• Grotesque• Heedless• Maculated• Grandeur• Fidelity• Coquet

VOCABULARY

• Stupefied-to be made stupid; amazed• Conspicuous- easily seen• Conflagration- a large fire• Intrepid- fearless• Prudence-shrewd in practical affairs• Inarticulate-not understandable• Brambles-thorny/prickly bushed• Immemorial-extending beyond memory• Acclivity-upward slope• Inexhaustible-incapable of being used• Grotesque-odd or unnatural in appearance• Heedless-not paying attention • Maculated-spotted or stained• Grandeur-state of being good, awesome, grand• Fidelity- being faithful/loyal• Coquet-a flirtatious man

SUMMARIZE

• With your group, summarize the story. You need to have a clear beginning, middle, and end. • Write the summary.• Then summarize using illustrations.

EXIT SLIP

• Complete the comprehension questions on your own paper.