The FReeper Foxhole Profiles Colonel Joshua Chamberlain - May 17th, 2004

1st Dragoon's Civil War Site ^

[SAMWolf]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
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FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.

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Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
(1828 - 1914)

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Joshua L. Chamberlain is perhaps most widely known for his role in holding the Federal position on Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg. But before the war would end, the unassuming college professor from Maine would contribute much more than that.

Entering the Union army as a lieutenant colonel, Chamberlain would serve in more than 20 engagements, be wounded six times, and finish his service breveted Major General. His final honor would come when General Ulysses S. Grant designated him to receive the first flag of surrender at Appomattox Court House. The defeated Confederate troops, under the command of General John B. Gordon, anticipated the ultimate humiliation. Instead, they were met with honor and respect. For this, Gordon remembered Chamberlain in his memoirs as "one of the knightliest soldiers of the Federal Army."

The Simple Years of Youth

He was born Lawrence Joshua Chamberlain on September 8, 1828 in a cottage near the family homestead in Brewer, Maine, a farming and shipbuilding community. His parents, Joshua and Sarah Dupee (Brastow) Chamberlain, named him after the heroic Commodore James Lawrence who had immortalized the words "Don't give up the ship!" The eldest of five children, young Lawrence was raised as a Puritan and Huguenot (French Protestant) in a household which prized good manners, cheerfulness, morality, education, and industry.


The Professor from Maine

As a boy, Lawrence was fond of outdoor activities such as horseback riding at breakneck speed across the fields, swimming, sailing, and bird and flower watching. During adolescence, scholastic studies and farm work became of greater significance for the shy, serious, and dutiful youth. While plowing the rough fields, he learned from his strict and taciturn father that sheer willpower followed by positive action could accomplish seemingly impossible tasks. Lessons as these would later be applied to challenges in his adulthood, resulting in great success.

Upon contemplating a career for their eldest born, his father, a county commissioner and former lieutenant colonel in the military, wished for his son to enter the army. Lawrence had already attended Major Whiting's military academy where he fitted for West Point. But his mother, a religious woman, wanted him to study for the ministry. Lawrence was interested in a West Point education, but the idea of being in the military during peacetime held no attraction for him. After much consideration on the matter, Lawrence agreed to enter the ministry if he could become a missionary in a foreign land, a popular career choice of the time.

A New Direction


Fannie Chamberlain - wife of Joshua Chamberlain

In 1848, Lawrence entered Bowdoin College at Brunswick, where he began using Joshua as his first name. During his initial years away from home, the introverted 19-year-old felt lonely and spoke little because he was embarrassed by his propensity for stammering. Joshua learned to overcome this impediment by "singing out" phrases on a "wave of breath." By his third year at Bowdoin, he had won awards in both composition and oratory.

As a student, Joshua had earned a reputation for standing behind his principles even when challenged by authorities. Throughout his life, this sense of honor would never desert him, even under fire. When not pursuing his studies, Joshua enjoyed singing and playing the bass viol on which he was self-taught. As the college chapel organist, he learned to play the organ quite skillfully on his own.


John Chamberlain brother of Joshua and Thomas who also served briefly with the 20th Maine and was at Little Round Top in Gettysburg with Joshua and Thomas.

While attending the local church in Brunswick, Joshua became attracted to the enchanting, dark-haired Frances (Fanny) Caroline Adams who often played the organ for the church choir. She was the reverend's adopted daughter and three years his senior, but this unconventional difference in their ages (for those times) did not matter to them. It was not long before a romance blossomed between them. The two became engaged the next year in 1852, after he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin. They would not be married until 1855, following Joshua's graduation from both a three-year seminary course at Bangor Theological Seminary and Bowdoin College with his master's degree.

In spring of 1856, Joshua was elected professor of rhetoric and oratory at Bowdoin. By 1861, he was elected to the chair of modern languages. Chamberlain was well-qualified for this position, having mastered multiple languages in preparation for a career in the ministry overseas. In all, he was fluent in nine: Greek, Latin, French, German, Hebrew, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, and Syriac. Meanwhile, during his early years as a professor, the Chamberlain home had been blessed with the birth of their daughter Grace (Daisy), and son Harold (Wyllys).


Thomas Chamberlain younger brother of Joshua and John. All three brothers served with the 20th Maine and were at Little Round Top during the battle of Gettysburg

With the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Joshua felt a strong desire to serve his country. Many Bowdoin alumni had immediately enlisted, and as time passed many men from Maine were wearing the blue uniform. Having already been granted a leave of absence for study in Europe, Joshua decided to offer his services in the military to Governor Washburn. Despite the displeasure of the Bowdoin staff, by August 1862, Chamberlain entered the war as Lieutenant Colonel of the 20th Regiment of Maine Volunteers.

Lessons for a Lieutenant Colonel

Under Commander Adelbert Ames, a recent West Point graduate, Chamberlain learned by observation about soldiering and being in charge of a regiment. He witnessed the transformation of more than 900 unskilled men into trained and disciplined soldiers. Among the officers of the regiment was Joshua's brother Thomas. Tom, the youngest of the Chamberlain's, was appointed a non-commissioned sergeant. Before the end of the war, he would serve as a lieutenant colonel.


Joshua Chamberlain and his wife, Caroline.

The 20th Maine's first order found them marching to the site of the battle at Antietam. But they would not engage in action until late September, in a reconnaissance at Shepherdstown Ford. In mid-October, they participated in another reconnaissance, this one led by Chamberlain at the South Mountain pass. Upon seeing the figure of a slain Confederate youth, Joshua was horrified and saddened to realize that some of the soldiers they fought against were as young as this 16-year-old. Sights as these would never be forgotten.

By December 1862, the Battle of Fredericksburg proved to be a devastating blow to the Union. In an article he wrote, published by Cosmopolitan Magazine in 1912, Chamberlain recalls his bone-chilling "bivouac with the dead" that night on the slopes of Marye's Heights in Fredericksburg. After this engagement, as the defeated Union troops were given orders to evacuate the town, Chamberlain was placed in command of his regiment to lead the retreat from the heights.



The remaining months of winter and early spring passed uneventfully for the 20th. The prevalence of small pox in the ranks kept them out of the Battle of Chancellorsville in the beginning of May 1863. During this time, Chamberlain requested duties to occupy his able-bodied men. Having learned a great deal since his enlistment, and demonstrating strong leadership skills, by the end of the month Chamberlain was appointed Colonel of his regiment.

[PhilDragoo]

Good God what an inspiration: out of ammo so orders a bayonet charge.

Yet such a modest and cultivated sort.

Striking such a note at the quarter-century reunion.

A sense of timelessness in time, something between, "Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees" and Holmes' prewar farewell to Watson.

"There's an east wind coming, Watson."

"I think not, Holmes. It is very warm."

"Good old Watson! You are the one fixed point in a changing age. There's an east wind coming all the same, such a wind as never blew on England yet. It will be cold and bitter, Watson, and a good many of us may wither before its blast. But it's God's own wind none the less, and a cleaner, better, stronger land will lie in the sunshine when the storm has cleared."

Of course England's indifference to Jewish extermination still echoes in the unbelievable dreck parroted by the BBC.

While the NYT's Friedman equates Al-Sadr's militia with the Israeli settlers: "All Is Skewed To Fit Our Bent".

~~~

July 2, 1863

Dear Diary,

I am extremely thankful to God Almighty for my life and the ability to write this evening. It has been a very hectic, bloody, and an extremely DEADLY day. Of the 200 men I began the day with, less than half remain. This was a horrible price to pay but the army and quite possibly the country itself were saved this evening. The fact that we still hold this position is, in itself, a gift from God.

As the day began, we were marching up the Taneytown road towards Gettysburg. As we approached, the sounds of the fight were becoming louder and clearer. At approximately 1300, we were instructed to take up a reserve position about 200 yards southeast of this huge ridge of hills. The men took this opportunity to rest up, perform some hygiene, and contemplate what was waiting for us on the other side of those hills. The rumors were almost correct. It was not the entire Reb army, only the lead and mid elements of it.

Private Killrain and I sat under a tree and began to talk. We began to discuss the situation of the Freedmen. I explained to him that I had never really considered them to be any different from any white man. As my mother put it, they had the "divine spark". This, to me, meant that they were the same in faculty and function as any man. That, after all, is the main reason that I am here. I believe that this nation cannot exist with two such differed ideologies.

"Buster", as I call him, responded by telling me that he didn't care one way or the other about the freedmen. He related his experiences from Ireland, his home country, where he had seen men killed for no logical reason. He said that he came to this country because here you are judged on your own actions, not those of your past family. He feels that the south has an aristocratic society much like the old country. To him this concept seemed completely wrong. He said, "Shoot! What I'm fighting for is the right to prove that I'm a better man than some of those. That is why we MUST win this war !!"

From this point forward I must relate what occured as best I can because everything seemed so time-compressed.

As Buster was talking to me at this point, Col. Vincent rushed up and ordered me to gather my men and prepare to double quick. We were going to a position on the small round hill in front of us. This took place at about 1700. The Rebs were storming across the field headed for this hill. We arrived at our position and Col. Vincent pointed out the fact that there were several units to our right but none to the left. He informed me that we were the end of the union line. He said, "You cannot withdraw. You cannot surrender. If this position is taken, the enemy will sweep over the top of this hill and take this entire army from the rear. You will have to be stubborn today. You must defend this position to the last." I surveyed the position and was thinking "defend to the last. The last what? The last man? The last round of ammunition?"

At this point I remembered an important lesson I had learned from the Rebs at Fredericksburg. I ordered the men to stack the rocks up in front as high as they could. Those who could not seek cover behind the rocks needed to find a good thick tree to get behind. They were digging trenches and constructing a breastworks as fast as they could because we could hear the fight moving towards us. I summoned the officers to explain the situation. I then dispatched Capt. Morrill and B Company out to the far left to take up sniper positions.

At around 1645 the 16th Michigan and 44th New York became engaged. The Rebs were trying to storm straight up the front of the hill. I knew it would only be a matter of time before the Rebs regrouped and tried to swing around the left. The downside of this situation is that WE were the left.

The fight erupted with the 83rd Pennsylvania, to our immediate right, at 1745. The air began to fill with a suffocating cloud of smoke. At 1800 Buster spotted what appeared to be an entire Reb division coming straight at us. I told the men to remain calm and to continue loading and firing as fast as possible. As they charged we continued to fire from behind the rocks and trees and we exacted a heavy toll upon the enemy. We were getting extremely shot up in the process. There were bodies everywhere. The blood gathered in huge puddles on the rocks and ground. I have never seen anything like it. We thought we had repelled them but after a break long enough to receive casualty reports they came at us again. Fortunately, at this point, they were coming straight at us. My left flank, which was fully exposed, remained intact. We repelled this charge with furious determination. At this time my scouts reported that the Rebs were beginning to move around to the left.

I formulated a plan, thank you Jesus, and summoned my officers to relay it to the units. I ordered the men to thin out to twice their length, and at the point I marked, to refuse the line. The line was pulled back to form right angles so the enemy approaching from the left would hit another front instead of the flank. My casualties were heavy and we had to execute this maneuver in the face of heavy enemy fire. We were also beginning to run dangerously low on ammunition.

The Rebs came again and we repelled them again. There were hundreds of men dead and dying on the slope. The fight raged on like this for what seemed like an eternity. As my men ran out of ammunition the fighting became hand to hand. We continued to hold as best as we could.

We could not get resupplied or reinforced because the Rebs were wreaking havoc upon the entire line. Upon trying to summon reinforcements, I learned that Col. Vincent had been shot dead about 30 minutes into the fight. We were beat up and out of ammunition yet the Rebs were coming at us again. I knew with our present situation that we could not withstand another attack, yet we could not withdraw. I summoned the officers and ordered them to have their men fix bayonettes.

As the Rebs came up the hill, we charged starting with the left flank that had been pulled back. We swung like a door and swept the Rebs down the hill. Most of them looked absolutely terrified. I came upon a Reb officer who leveled his pistol at my head and pulled the trigger. I closed my eyes as I heard the click of the hammer falling on an empty chamber. I then put my sword to his throat and demanded his weapon which he readily gave up. He then asked me for a drink of water which I saw that he received. As the Rebs continued to run down the hill, Capt. Morrill's men rose up from behind their stone wall and fired into their rear. This formed a slaughter pit at the foot of the hill.

After the fight was over a messenger came and told me that I needed to brief General Meade on the action. He asked to shake my hand saying "That is the most amazing thing I have ever seen." He then offered a drink from his flask which I gladly took. I proceeded to drain the flask.

I then briefed the general and went back to my men. I was deeply saddened to find out that during the fight Buster had been seriously wounded. According to the adjutant it appears to be mortal. A horrible price to pay. I am grateful that the army survived. This was without a doubt the most brutal confrontation I have ever seen. When I asked the name of the hill, I was told that it was called Little Round Top. I believe that "Little Round Top" will be a testament to right triumphing over wrong despite overwhelming odds.

Joshua L. Chamberlain

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Foxhole Institute Press is pleased to announce publication of SAMWolf, Mensa Math Made Easy in hardcover with companion CD. Ask about the member discount.

~~~

I realize only one artillery shell with VX nerve gas is not a great deal, but I hope it will be received in the spirit it is sent when I cram one each down the throats of Dan Rather, Hillary Clinton, Carl Levin, and Ted Kennedy.

Ted Kennedy will have to take time out from his videoconferences with al-Sadr, Zarqawi, Osama and that Botox pimp-daddy from the Paris peace talks.

[Samwise]

Sing it, Phil. :^)

[Samwise]

I think I'm gonna ground her for a couple of months.

Hobbit lass read that and whined, "Mom, I was just kidding!" I laughed and said, "So was I." I got a huge hug. :^)

BTW. The last question on the homework sheet is to predict what grade she will get on the homework.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[stand watie]

THIS AM, one of the talking heads on TV said that the THREE sarin warheads and a 55 GALLON container of Nitrogen Mustard Gas "does NOT mean that there are WMDs in Iraq"!

then, pray tell this "ignorant ole boy", what exactly does FINDING the poisonous agents MEAN????

!@#$%^&*!

free dixie,sw

[Valin]

then, pray tell this "ignorant ole boy", what exactly does FINDING the poisonous agents MEAN????

42 120,000 gallons tanks with a neon sign and arrow that says Saddams WMD right here.

[colorado tanker]

Thanks for posting Chamberlain's diary; I've not seen that before. Very moving account. What a man.