Joshua Chamberlain: A Portrait of an American Hero
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
as
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." 1
After the war, Chamberlain would use his American
heroism in two significant ways. His wartime experiences gave him
the confidence and leadership skills to make profound changes at his alma
mater as President, and as the Governor of the state which he loved.
"Boy Chamberlain"
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. 2
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, and serious
youth. While plowing the rough fields, he learned from his strict 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.3
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.
College Life
While attending the local church in Brunswick, Joshua
became attracted to the lovely, 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. 5
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).
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.
6
From Professor to 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.
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 sixteen-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. 7
Gettysburg
At Gettysburg, Chamberlain and his men were called into action on the second day of the battle, July 2nd, 1863. The 20th Maine, among the regiments in Colonel Strong Vincent's 3rd Brigade, was positioned at the far left of the line on Little Round Top. In an effort to claim this ground and decimate the Union line, Confederate General John Bell Hood's brigades advanced up the rocky hill. A number of Union officers were killed in the midst of the fray, including Colonel Vincent. Chamberlain was now left in a desperate situation. Having been given an order by Vincent to hold the Union's ground at all costs and not to retreat, yet learning that his men's ammunition was virtually depleted, he had to make a quick decision. Chamberlain decided to counterattack and thus ordered a bayonet charge down the hill. The Union's position was saved. In Bayonet! Forward! Chamberlain recalls the counterattack.
![[Devil's Den - July 2, PM 1963]](img7.gif)
Other Campaigns
Not long after the Union's victory at Gettysburg,
Chamberlain was given command of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, Fifth Corps,
and participated in the Culpepper and Centreville campaign in October.
By now, after having undergone his many trials with the 20th, Chamberlain
had earned the respect and loyalty of his men. The soldiers admired his
skill and bravery, and appreciated his acts of kindness and courtesy towards
them. The attention he paid to the sick or wounded in his command, and
the time and care he took in sending home the personal effects of those
who died would long be remembered. Moreover, the men saw in him a humble
man, as Chamberlain often chose to endure the same conditions as them,
sleeping on the ground in the harshest of climates. But this practice was
sometimes hazardous for the colonel. After they made camp beside
the Rappahannock in early November, having slept all night in the snow,
Chamberlain suffered from pneumonia and a severe recurrence of malarial
fever. He was sent to Georgetown in Washington, DC where he remained for
treatment until spring.
In early May, 1864, Chamberlain returned to command
his brigade during the Battle of Spotsylvania, but did not see action until
the 20th's engagement at Pole Cat Creek at the end of the month. On June
2nd and 3rd, he and the 20th Maine fought at Bethesda Church, not far from
Cold Harbor. As in other engagements Chamberlain threw himself into the
thick of the battle, executing commands with a cool head and great composure
but showing little regard for his own personal safety. This would be the
last time he would lead the 20th, as General Warren reorganized the Fifth
Corps. In a few days, Chamberlain would be appointed commander of the 1st
Division's new 1st Brigade of Pennsylvania regiments.
By mid-June, the Union army was in Petersburg, one
of the key cities of the Confederacy. Chamberlain's 1st Brigade fought
valiantly at Rives' Salient on June 18, 1864. At one point, he bore the
flag after the color bearer was killed at his side, until he too was shot
by a minie ball. Though the wound was severe, Chamberlain maintained his
composure until every one of his men had passed from view. Even in his
grave condition he refused preferential treatment, insisting that others
with far more serious wounds be tended to first.10
The belief that Chamberlain's wound was mortal led
to his swift promotion to Brigadier General by General Ulysses Grant, in
what is said to have been the only instance of a promotion on the battlefield
given by Grant. During this time, and fearing the worst, Chamberlain wrote
a
letter to Fanny, thinking this might be the last chance he had.
Chamberlain was admitted into the Naval Academy hospital at Annapolis with
little hope for his survival, but as his will to live was strong, he would
not remain hospitalized for very long. By November he again reported for
duty, despite the fact that he could not yet ride a horse or walk a great
distance.
Looking back on that dreadful battle, Chamberlain
recalled how everyone was so "manly". He often does this in his accounts.
Chamberlain never fought in a battle in which he did not respect his opponents.
To do this was a cowardly and selfish act. This is demonstrated in
The Passing of Armies when Chamberlain went back to Petersburg;
On my return to Petersburg, I found myself among friends.
The old Confederate officers in the city were gathered in force to meet
my coming. And strong, manly men they were. Nothing could exceed
their heartiness and hospitality. They opened for the occasion their
hall of war records and relics, where we talked over the feats and defeats
of many an old field. In the evening there was a symposium, where
our various experiences and different views of things gave spice to comradeship.
Perhaps the most striking attention received was that
of an old Confederate from the ranks, who was at Rives’ Salient on that
dark June day of the bloody years, and who was as badly cut up with wounds
as any man I ever saw alive. Our interview was both sharpened and
deepened by our reciprocal experiences on that mortal day.11
It was not unlike Joshua Chamberlain to speak with all sorts of groups, veterans both of the Confederacy and the Union, later in his life.
Chamberlain was now placed in command of a new 1st
Brigade, 1st Division, comprised of two large regiments from Pennsylvania
and New York. However, not yet fully recovered, he was hospitalized again
in early December, this time in Philadelphia, after participating in a
raid on Weldon Railroad. Following a month's sick leave, without his doctors'
knowledge Chamberlain returned to service. But he did not see action until
General Grant's final campaign.
On March 29, 1865, Chamberlain and his 1st Brigade
headed up Quaker Road and engaged in a hot fight in which they employed
their bayonets. Again wounded while having one of many horses shot under
him during the war, Chamberlain was nearly taken prisoner but eluded his
captors by posing as a Confederate officer. Despite his injury in this
battle, Chamberlain remained in command. He ordered his men to capture
enemy breastworks and drive the Confederates from their position, thus
opening a path to the Boydton Plank and White Oak Roads. By exhibiting
exceptional leadership and organizational skills, Chamberlain had attained
that coveted lodgment on the White Oak Road. For this accomplishment, he
would be appointed Major General by President Lincoln.
The Battle of Five Forks commenced on April 1, 1865, and would culminate
in a significant Union victory. On the first day of the battle, Chamberlain's
brigade captured more than 1000 soldiers, including 19 officers, and five
battle flags. The second day found the 1st Brigade advancing on the South
Side Railroad. Here they pushed back the enemy's cavalry and captured a
train in addition to many prisoners. Then they marched to Appomattox Court
House to assist General Philip Sheridan's cavalry.
By now, the Confederate army had been severely weakened,
with the number of its troops and supplies rapidly dwindling. Finally,
the next day, April 9, General Robert E. Lee called a truce to halt
the four-year bloodshed between the two armies.
Surrender at Appomattox
Chamberlain felt deeply touched when he learned that he was selected to receive the formal surrender of arms and colors of Lee's army. At his request, he was reunited with the 20th Maine and members of the 3rd Brigade, whom he modestly believed should be the real recipients of this honor. On April 12, Confederate General John B. Gordon and his soldiers were met by Chamberlain and the Fifth Corps at Appomattox. Upon their arrival, the Confederates were astonished to be honorably welcomed by the marching salute. This gracious reception prompted Gordon and his soldiers to salute Chamberlain and his men in return. In his speeches and memoirs, Gordon would always remember Chamberlain as "one of the knightliest soldiers of the Federal Army." Chamberlain too often reminisced on this profound event with the greatest respect for Gordon and his men. In his book, The Passing of the Armies: The Last Campaign of the Armies, published in 1915 after his death, he recalls the noble spirit of the Confederate troops and their gallant and bittersweet surrender in his Chapter 6, "Appomattox." He speaks of his salute,
The war had ended, and the Union Army of the Potomac held a grand review on May 23 in Washington, DC. Chamberlain would never forget that moment of glory, nor the great deeds of the many soldiers who had fought or died for their country. Reflecting on this last parade, he pays a tribute to all members of the corps of the Army of the Potomac in Chapter 9, "The Last Review," of Armies. With sentimentality, he addresses the survivors of the war when he writes:
Chamberlain's last days in the army are related in
Chapter 11, "The Disbandment," of Armies. In his conclusion, he remarks
on the final orders from the Army of the Potomac, expressing his interpretation
of the command from a philosophical and religious viewpoint. He also
extends his disappointment with the army for giving out brevets to subordinates
who did not deserve them. He was a strong believer in the phrase
"you only get out, what you put into it". He found it especially
unfair to those in other companies who worked hard to get to the position
they were in.
Now that the war had officially ended, Chamberlain
would return once more to life as a civilian, often giving speeches about
the war. But nothing would ever be the same again.
Post-war Chamberlain
After having lived through all the drama and excitement
of the battlefield, Chamberlain would now find a professor's occupation
at Bowdoin boring and uninspiring. Despite receiving an honorary doctor
of law degree from Pennsylvania College in 1866, and later from Bowdoin
in 1869, he suffered a lot of restlessness.
Chamberlain decided to pursue a political career,
and in September, 1866 was elected governor of Maine by the largest majority
in the state's history. He would serve four terms in all, concluding his
last term at the end of 1870. As governor, he felt it was his duty to carry
out the law and therefore addressed and enforced such controversial measures
as capital punishment which brought about a bit of unrest to a governorship
otherwise known as a very productive and in good terms.
In his address to the State Legislature of Maine, 1867, he discusses
his thoughts on the capital punishment issue:
It is important to note here that Chamberlain was, in fact, for capital punishment. However this is not the point which he argued. The general question was not important to him as much as making the practice conform to the law. The large issue in his mind was to do it or to not do it, but to set a precedence and move forward with that decision. "But I wish simply to suggest whether it would not be well, if we cannot make our practice conform to our law, to make our law agree with our practice. Either abolish capital punishment altogether, or fix upon a day after the year of grace on which the sentence shall be executed."15
Changes for Bowdoin
In 1871, Chamberlain was elected president of Bowdoin by the trustees of the college. His presidency, which would conclude in 1883, found him introducing progressive and occasionally unpopular ideas to the conservative institution. Trulock writes,
It was his service in the military which gave him the advantage, and confidence to make these changes. As Bowdoin was a particularly conservative college, no one else, as of yet, had the courage or understanding to make such changes. Alice Trulock, in her biography In the Hands of Providence: Joshua L. Chamberlain & the American Civil War, names some of these:
One of the first traditions to change was the assignment of class ranking and honors on the basis of both deportment and scholarship; Chamberlain determined that records of the two should be kept separate. Perhaps he remembered the earnest and conscientious young student from Brewer who wanted to be liked by his fellows at college but was not allowed even a little mischievous fun if he wanted class honors.17
Chamberlain knew the importance of getting a good education, but also finding yourself at the college. It was important not only to study, but to maintain a balance between fun and school work. Otherwise, it was extremely uneventful. Other changes included:
These were radical changes in the eyes of alumni and boards members, but Chamberlain did not stop here. He was convinced that, just as the country was changing, Bowdoin needed to change too. The policy of expansion was adopted as soon as Chamberlain accepted the presidency. Post-war expansion brought with it a burgeoning industry and business. Chamberlain also saw the need to expand the institution's science department. A department for studies leading to a bachelor of science degree was added to the curriculum if students wished to take on engineering or practical sciences careers. He also introduced a new independent study for students, seeing that college life often separated students from the world around them. The new scientific advantages often raised some brows due to the religious beliefs at the time. Chamberlain simply stated:
It was his war time experiences, however, and his state office, which
gave him the credibility to do these things. He cunningly used his
virtue of being an American Hero to bring changes, not only to his state
and country, but to Bowdoin as well.
While president at Bowdoin, Chamberlain received
additional appointments in both education and government which occupied
his time off campus. In 1878, he was named U.S. Commissioner of Education
to the Paris Universal Exposition. For this event, he, his wife Fanny,
and their now grown children embarked on a five-month stay in Europe.
Chamberlain would be awarded a medal by the French government for his services
in Paris. In 1880, as the appointed military commander of the state, he
was called to step in to oversee the state's election crisis. A dispute
erupted into an assassination plot against Chamberlain which he confronted
and diffused. It had not been since the war that he had to face such adversity,
however, because of the war, he handled these changing times remarkably.
In one instance when a mob of close to 30 men had threatened to kill him,
he donned his coat and walked down two steps saying:
With this, the mob dispersed silently, and Chamberlain had again shown
his terrific leadership skills and relentlessness for dying for the cause
he believed in: protecting what he believed in at all costs.
The later years of Chamberlain's career found him pursuing business
ventures; serving as U.S. Surveyor of Customs at the Port of Portland,
Maine, appointed by President McKinley; and writing about his wartime experiences.
He was greatly and actively interested in all soldier societies and associations.
He often attended reunions of the men who had been under his command in
regiments from many states and his lecture on "Little Round Top" was repeated
before thousands throughout a widespread territory. He was an early
member of the Grand Army of the Republic and was for a term Commander of
the Department of Maine. When the Society of the Army of the Potomac
was organized in the city of New York in 1869 he was selected as orator
of the occasion and delivered an address on "The Army of the Potomac" before
a large audience which included many officers of high rank.
Footnothes:
1Reminiscences of the Civil War, by General John B. Gordon, Morningside, Dayton, OH, 1993.
2In the Hands of Providence: Joshua L. Chamberlain and the American Civil War, by Alice Rains Trulock, The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, NC, 1992. p. 33
3Soul of the Lion: A Biography of General Joshua L. Chamberlain,
by Willard M.
Wallace, 1960, reprinted by Stan Clark Military Books, Gettysburg,
PA, 1991. p. 41
4In the Hands of Providence: Joshua L. Chamberlain and the American Civil War, by Alice Rains Trulock, The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, NC, 1992. p. 43-35
5ibid.
6Soul of the Lion: A Biography of General Joshua L. Chamberlain,
by Willard M.
Wallace, 1960, reprinted by Stan Clark Military Books, Gettysburg,
PA, 1991. p. 123
7Soul of the Lion: A Biography of General Joshua L. Chamberlain,
by Willard M.
Wallace, 1960, reprinted by Stan Clark Military Books, Gettysburg,
PA, 1991. p. 145
8ibid.p. 33-34
9Soul of the Lion: A Biography of General Joshua L. Chamberlain,
by Willard M.
Wallace, 1960, reprinted by Stan Clark Military Books, Gettysburg,
PA, 1991. p. 157-169
10The Passing of the Armies: The Last Campaign of the Armies,
by Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain,
1915, reprinted by Stan Clark Military Books, Gettysburg, PA, 1994.
p. 120
11Soul of the Lion: A Biography of General Joshua L. Chamberlain,
by Willard M.
Wallace, 1960, reprinted by Stan Clark Military Books, Gettysburg,
PA, 1991.
12The Passing of the Armies: The Last Campaign of the Armies, by Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, 1915, reprinted by Stan Clark Military Books, Gettysburg, PA, 1994. p. 195
13ibid. p. 363
14Address of Governor Chamberlain to The Legislature of the State of Maine. January, 1869
15ibid.
16In the Hands of Providence: Joshua L. Chamberlain and the American Civil War, by Alice Rains Trulock, The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, NC, 1992. p.342
17ibid. p.342-343
18ibid. p. 343
19ibid.
20ibid. p. 358
21Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States:
Commandery of the State of Maine. In Memoriam. Joshua Lawrence
Chamberlain. 1914. p. 10
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