Ambrose Bierce was born on June 24, 1842, in Meigs County, Ohio.

He was raised in poverty on a farm in Indiana and grew to hate farm life. He got through his teenage years by reading books. When he was old enough, he left home to live with his uncle and later attended a military academy for a year before dropping out. After that he worked odd jobs here and there.

In 1861 the Civil War broke out, and Bierce enlisted in the Union Army. He was a great help in the war, rose through the ranks, and won many honors. Bierce was deeply shocked by what he saw during the war and afterwards wrote several short stories based on this experience. Due to a severe head injury, he had to return home.

Later, he moved to San Francisco, and in 1867 decided to get into journalism, starting to contribute to newspapers. He wrote many short stories, as well as articles and editorials. In 1871, he married and lived with his family in England for four years.

Back in California, Bierce wrote for the "San Francisco Examiner." He was the local satirist and was prominent among the writers of California's "Literary Frontier." He established himself as a kind of literary dictator of the West Coast and was so respected and feared as a critic that his judgment could "make or break" a young author's reputation.

After his divorce in 1905 and the deaths of two of his sons, Bierce decided to go to Mexico in 1913 to leave behind his American life. He was never heard from again. There were many rumors of his death. Some believed he committed suicide, and some believed he was killed. The estimated date of his death is sometime in January 1914, but his death will forever remain a mystery.