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| *** The Civil War *** |
| Gen. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain: A Dedicated Hero Home You are listening to When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again. |
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| Brigadier-Gen. J. L. Chamberlain |
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| Lieut.-Col. J. L. Chamberlain |
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| Dedication of the 20th Maine monument, October 3rd, 1889 |
| General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain played an extremely large and important role in the American Civil War. To go into detail about his involvement in the war would be another project in itself; this project is primarily concerned with Chamberlain's life in general. The following is a brief synopsis of the important events in which he took part, and his overall contribution to the war effort as a result of these occurrences. |
| "General, you have the soul of the lion and the heart of the woman." --Gen. Horatio G. Sickel to Gen. J. L. Chamberlain, 1865 |
| Battle of Gettysburg-- July 2, 1863. Chamberlain and his 20th Maine regiment forced the Confederacy to retreat by holding the left flank of the entire Union line while fighting off massive attacks. It has been "said that Joshua Chamberlain and the 20th Maine saved the day at Gettysburg and therefore saved the Union" (Pullen 5). This action occurred at the now-famous Little Round Top. |
| Battle of Petersburg-- 1864. Chamberlain received major wounds. "He was made a brigadier-general by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant himself" (Pullen 6). |
| Surrender at Appomattox-- April 12, 1865. After several more wounds, Chamberlain recuperated and rejoined the war effort as a brevet major-general. He was granted the honorable task of receiving the ceremonial surrender of the Confederate infantry under command of Gen. Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House. According to biographer John J. Pullen, "The surrender ceremony at Appomattox on that April day was a dramatic climax to the fighting between the Army of the Potomac and Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia." A particularly noteworthy and famous aspect of the surrender was the salute he ordered his troops to give to the surrendering Confederate soldiers. This action was characteristic of the grace and dignity that Chamberlain exhibited throughout his life. |