"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce

"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce was written with much attention paid to the minute details of the actual story. For example, the narrator describes in detail how the sentinels held their rifles. "A sentinel at each end of the bridge stood with his rifle in the position known as 'support,' that is to say, vertical in front of the left shoulder, the hammer resting on the forearm thrown straight across the chest--a formal and unnatural position, enforcing an erect carriage of the body."
…