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| It was a desperate moment. The troops of the 20th Maine had been ordered to defend the left flank of the Federal line at Gettysburg "at all costs." Led by Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain, a 35 year-old college professor and Christian theologian, the men from Maine had successfully repulsed repeated attacks by courageous Confederates from Alabama. Finally, exhausted and low on ammunition, the valiant soldiers from Maine appeared near the breaking point. As the determined Southerners renewed the attack on Little Round Top with another assault against the Federal left flank, Chamberlain knew what was at stake. If his troops could not hold the line and the flank was turned, the Federal army might be destroyed, the battle lost - and the war with it. Facing what appeared to be impending destruction, Chamberlain did the unexpected: he ordered a bayonet charge. The battle-weary men in blue obediently fixed bayonets, charged down the hill into the face of the enemy - and shattered the final Confederate assault. The day was won. Chamberlain would rise to major general, survive four battle wounds, officially receive the surrender of Lee's army at Appomattox and enjoy post-war prominence as governor of Maine. Yet despite his many achievements, he would always be remembered for his leadership in those desperate moments at Little Round Top on the second day at Gettysburg. To generations of Americans - Southerners, as well as Northerners - Joshua Chamberlain would hold an enduring position as the "Hero of Little Round Top." |
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Last
updated: July 11, 2000 |
