These stories detail the lives of soldiers and civilians during the American Civil War. Bierce served as a union soldier during the Civil War and his experiences as a soldier served as an inspiration for his writing, particularly for the Soldiers section. In this way, Bierce's war treatments anticipate and parallel Ernest Hemingway's later arrival, whereas the civilian tales later influence horror writers. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce was an American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist, and satirist.