Early career At the beginning of the
American Civil War, Chamberlain believed the Union needed to be supported against the Confederacy by all those willing. On several occasions, Chamberlain spoke freely of his beliefs during his class, urging students to follow their hearts in regards to the war while maintaining that the cause was just. Of his desire to serve in the War, he wrote to Maine's Governor
Israel Washburn, Jr., "I fear, this war, so costly of blood and treasure, will not cease until men of the North are willing to leave good positions, and sacrifice the dearest personal interests, to rescue our country from desolation, and defend the national existence against treachery." Many faculty at Bowdoin did not feel his enthusiasm for various reasons and Chamberlain was subsequently granted a leave of absence (supposedly to study languages for two years in
Europe). He then promptly enlisted unbeknownst to his family and those at Bowdoin. Offered the
colonelcy of the
20th Maine Regiment, he declined, according to his biographer, John J. Pullen, preferring to "start a little lower and learn the business first." He was appointed
lieutenant colonel of the regiment on August 8, 1862, under the command of
Col. Adelbert Ames. The 20th was assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division,
V Corps in the Union
Army of the Potomac. One of Chamberlain's younger brothers,
Thomas Chamberlain, was also an officer of the 20th Maine, and another, John Chamberlain, visited the regiment at Gettysburg as a member of the
U.S. Christian Commission until appointed as a chaplain in another Maine Volunteer regiment. The 20th Maine fought at the
Battle of Fredericksburg, suffering relatively small numbers of casualties in the assaults on Marye's Heights, but were forced to spend a miserable night on the freezing battlefield among the many wounded from other regiments. Chamberlain chronicled this night well in his diary and went to great length discussing his having to use bodies of the fallen for shelter and a pillow while listening to the bullets zip into the corpses. The 20th missed the
Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863 due to an outbreak of
smallpox in their ranks (which was caused by an errant smallpox vaccine), keeping them on guard duty in the rear. Chamberlain was promoted to
colonel of the regiment in June 1863 upon the promotion of Ames.
Battle of Gettysburg Chamberlain became most famous for his achievements during the
Battle of Gettysburg. On July 2, the
second day of the battle, Union forces were recovering from initial setbacks and hastily regrouping into defensive positions on a line of hills south of the town. Sensing the momentary vulnerability of the Union forces, the Confederates began an attack against the Union left flank. Chamberlain's brigade, commanded by Col.
Strong Vincent, was sent to defend
Little Round Top by the army's Chief of Engineers, Brig. Gen.
Gouverneur K. Warren. Chamberlain found himself and the 20th Maine at the far left end of the entire Union line. He quickly understood the strategic significance of the small hill, and the need to hold the Union left at all costs. The men from Maine waited until troops from the
15th Alabama Infantry Regiment, commanded by Col.
William C. Oates, charged up the hill, attempting to flank the Union position. Time and time again the Confederates struck, until the 20th Maine was almost doubled back upon itself. With many casualties and ammunition running low, Col. Chamberlain recognized the dire circumstances and ordered his left wing (which was now looking southeast, compared to the rest of the regiment, which was facing west) to initiate a bayonet charge. From his report of the day: "At that crisis, I ordered the bayonet. The word was enough." While battlefield conditions make it unlikely that many men heard Chamberlain's order, most historians believe he initiated the charge. The 20th Maine charged down the hill, with the left wing wheeling continually to make the charging line swing like a hinge, thus creating a simultaneous
frontal assault and
flanking maneuver, capturing 101 of the Confederate soldiers and successfully saving the flank. This version of the battle was popularized by the book
The Killer Angels and the movie
Gettysburg. Chamberlain sustained one slight wound in the battle, when a shot hit his scabbard and bruised his thigh. After initiating the maneuver, he came upon a Confederate officer wielding a revolver who quickly fired, narrowly missing his face. Chamberlain remained steadfast, and with his sword at the officer's throat accepted the man's arms and surrender. The pistol Chamberlain captured at Gettysburg can still be seen on display in the Civil War exhibit of the
Maine State Museum. For his tenacity at defending Little Round Top, he was known by the sobriquet
Lion of the Round Top. For his actions that day, Chamberlain was awarded the
Medal of Honor.
Medal of Honor citation Bristoe campaign Chamberlain led the 20th Maine during the
Bristoe campaign of October and November 1863. In November he became ill with
malaria and was suspended from active duty in order to recover at home. The next day, Chamberlain was summoned to Union headquarters where Maj. Gen.
Charles Griffin informed him that he had been selected to preside over the parade of the Confederate infantry as part of their formal surrender at
Appomattox Court House on April 12. Chamberlain was thus responsible for one of the most poignant scenes of the American Civil War. As the Confederate soldiers marched down the road to surrender their arms and colors, Chamberlain, on his own initiative, ordered his men to come to attention and "carry arms" as a show of respect. In memoirs written forty years after the event, Chamberlain described what happened next: Chamberlain stated that his
salute to the Confederate soldiers was unpopular with many Unionists, but he defended his action in his posthumously published 1915 memoir
The Passing of the Armies. Gordon, in his own memoirs, called Chamberlain "one of the knightliest soldiers of the Federal Army." Arguing that Gordon never mentioned the anecdote until after he read Chamberlain's account more than 40 years later, at least one writer has questioned the historicity of Chamberlain and Gordon's account (e.g., S.C. Gwynne,
Hymns of the Republic: The Story of the Final Year of the American Civil War (p. 298)), but eminent historians such as James McPherson believe that the events in question occurred as Chamberlain described (e.g., James McPherson,
Battle Cry of Freedom (p. 850)). In all, Chamberlain served in 20 battles and numerous skirmishes, was cited for bravery four times, had six horses shot from under him, and was wounded six times. ==Post-war service==