Title	Finding aid for Ambrose Bierce Correspondence File, 1871-1913.
Creator	Bierce, Ambrose, 1842-1914?
Extent	315 items.
Biographical Note	Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (1842-1914?) was an American author and satirist best remembered for his cynical collection of definitions known as The Devil's Dictionary. Bierce also penned numerous short stories, often with supernatural themes ("The Damned Thing"), Civil War theme ("A Horseman in the Sky"), or a little of both ("An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"). Bierce's experience as a soldier no doubt influenced his writing, and he performed excellent service for the majority of the Civil War. After receiving a medical discharge in January 1865 for a head wound suffered during combat, Bierce began contributing essays and stories to California newspapers. William Randolph Hearst hired Bierce to write for the San Francisco Examiner in 1887, and Bierce gained notoriety thanks to his brutally cynical columns and editorials. After spending three years editing his Collected Works, Bierce traveled to Mexico to cover the rebellion of Pancho Villa. In 1914, shortly after arriving in Mexico, Bierce vanished without a trace. The circumstances surrounding his disappearance have remained a mystery.
Scope and Content	The Ambrose Bierce Correspondence File consists of letters written by Bierce between 1871 and 1913. The letters are arranged chronologically. Much of the letters are concerned with details of Bierce's multi-volume Collected Works, and a majority are written to the editor of that project, Walter Neale. The letters contain discourse about the contents of the volumes, transportation of proofs, and deadlines. The File also contains an annotated printer's copy of Volume VIII of Bierce's Collected Works, which consists of Negligible Tales and Kings of Beasts.
Notes	All inquiries about this collection should be directed to the Curator of Literary Manuscripts.
Date	1871-1913.
Provenance	Gift of Mark D. Savin, September, 1980.
Subject	Bierce, Ambrose, 1842-1914? Authors, American -- Correspondence. Authors, American -- Manuscripts. Publishers and publishing -- United States -- Archives. Washington (D.C.)
Form/Genre	Letters (correspondence) United States. (aat) Manuscripts for publication United States. (aat)
Contributors	Bartlett, W. C. (William Chauncey), 1818-1907. Howes, S. O. (Silas Orrin), 1867-1918. Neale, Walter, 1873-1933. Rutledge, Archibald, 1883-1973. Stoddard, Charles Warren, 1843-1909. Stone & Kimball.
Department	Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery. Manuscripts Department.
Call Number	mssHM 7294-7308, HM 10100-10449, HM 10458, HM 24312-24315, HM 47545
Accession Number	mss 00803.
Physical Collection	Ambrose Bierce Correspondence File.
Digital Collection	Finding Aids, Huntington Digital Library
Physical Description	17 p.
Digitization Specifications	Original finding aid converted into PDF document by B. Black, 2011-07-26.
Date Digital	2011-07-26.
DCMI Type	text
Digital Format	pdf
Original Finding Aid	Finding aid prepared by Bert Rinderle.
Citation Information	Finding aid for Ambrose Bierce Correspondence File, Huntington Digital Library, San Marino, California.
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Cataloging Notes	Cards for individual items are filed in the alphabetical section of the Manuscrips card catalog.