Charles Ashmore's Trail
"Charles Ashmore's Trail" is a short story by Ambrose Bierce, first published in 1893. The story follows the journey of Charles Ashmore, a man who sets out on a hike through the mountains to prove his strength and endurance to his fiancée. However, as he travels deeper into the wilderness, he realizes that the trail is leading him into dangerous territory, and he must confront his own limitations and fears in order to survive. The story explores themes of masculinity, perseverance, and the human condition, and is a classic example of Bierce's dark and introspective style.
By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1899 · Genre: Horror, Supernatural, Short Story · 751 words
First lines
THE family of Christian Ashmore consisted of his wife, his mother, two grown daughters, and a son of sixteen years. They lived in Troy, New York, were well-to-do, respectable persons, and had many friends, some of whom, reading these lines, will doubtless learn for the first time the extraordinary fate of the young man. From Troy the Ashmores moved in 1871 or 1872 to Richmond, Indiana, and a year or two later to the vicinity of Quincy, Illinois, where Mr. Ashmore bought a farm and lived on it. At some little distance from the farmhouse was a spring with a constant flow of clear, cold water, whence the family derived its supply for domestic use at all seasons.
What this Textopian page supports
Charles Ashmore's Trail is listed on Textopian as a short story by Ambrose Bierce, dated 1899 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Ambrose Bierce
- Date: 1899 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Horror, Supernatural, Short Story
- Length: 751 words
- Structure: 1 section, 9 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Charles Ashmore's Trail by Ambrose Bierce
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Charles Ashmore's Trail?
- How does this short story by Ambrose Bierce fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Horror first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- Fate by Ambrose Bierce
- A Guest by Ambrose Bierce
- The Rainmaker by Ambrose Bierce
- An Inscription by Ambrose Bierce
- Contemplation by Ambrose Bierce
- The Night Of Election by Ambrose Bierce
Genres
- Horror — The story is filled with eerie encounters and supernatural elements, typical of the horror genre.
- Supernatural — The book centers around the mystery of Charles Ashmore's disappearance in icy conditions, with a trail that mysteriously disappears, suggestive of supernatural elements.
- Short Story — The book is a brief narrative, capturing the essential elements of the plot in a concise format, typical of short stories.
Tags
gothic · horror · thriller · mystery · supernatural · fiction · novel · american literature · classic · literary fiction · psychological horror · suspense