The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

WGST

English · Short Stories, War & Military Fiction, Historical Fiction

Ambrose Bierce’s “The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is a Civil War story centered on Peyton Farquhar, a Southern civilian facing execution by Union soldiers. As the moment of his death unfolds, the narrative shifts between the bridge, Farquhar’s memories, and his desperate imagined escape.

The story is known for its carefully controlled suspense and its striking movement between immediate danger and vivid inner experience. Its compact form draws the listener into Farquhar’s perceptions, gradually revealing how the events fit together.

Somber and unsettling, the tale combines wartime tension with a psychological exploration of time, hope, and the mind under extreme pressure. Its final turn gives the story a haunting aftereffect.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.