Joshua chamberlain civil war facts

In addition to trying to change what was taught at the school, Chamberlain also tried to modify student behavior by having students participate in mandatory, in-uniform military drills. Chamberlain left his post at Bowdoin in and moved to Portland, Maine, where he served as surveyor of the port and began investing in Florida real estate. Chamberlain also began writing about his Civil War experiences, including the posthumously published memoir of Appomattox The Passing of the Armies.

His wife, Fanny, died in ; Joshua Chamberlain died on February 24,at the age of The Manhunt for John Wilkes Booth. Dred Scott. The 13 Most Cunning Military Leaders. Clara Barton.

Joshua chamberlain civil war facts

Abraham Lincoln. The Story of President Ulysses S. Hiram R. John Wilkes Booth. The Final Days of Abraham Lincoln. Stonewall Jackson. Frederick Douglass. Nathan Bedford Forrest. Gettysburg and Appomattox The 20th Maine was present at several significant battles but is best remembered for its key role in the Battle of Gettysburg. Entering Bowdoin College in Brunswick inChamberlain studied the traditional classical curriculum and showed particular skill at languages.

At First Parish Church, he met Fannie Adams, the adopted daughter of the minister; they were to marry inafter a long courtship. But first Chamberlain took his Bowdoin A. Turning down the opportunity to become a minister or missionary, he accepted a position at Bowdoin teaching rhetoric which combined elements of what we would now call speech with English literature and persuasive writing and, later, modern languages i.

A good scholar, he was also an orthodox Congregationalist — an important factor to his Bowdoin colleagues, for the College was embroiled in the denominational joshuas chamberlain civil war facts of the day. Chamberlain knew little of soldiering — despite a short time as a boy at a military school at Ellsworth — but he was keenly aware that his father had commanded troops in the bloodless Aroostook War of with Canada, his grandfather had been locally prominent in the War ofand his great-grandfathers had participated in the Revolution.

When the sectional crisis led to civil war inChamberlain felt a strong urge to fight to save the union. Although sympathetic to the plight of the slaves, he is not known to have been an abolitionist and showed little interest, after the war, in the cause of the freedmen. But the college was reluctant to lose his services. He was soon made lieutenant colonel of the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

His extraordinary Civil War career is much admired today, thanks to books like John J. From Antietam in to the triumphal grand review of the armies in May ofChamberlain saw much of the war in the East, including 24 battles and numerous skirmishes. He was wounded six times — once, almost fatally — and had six horses shot from under him.

As Chamberlain continued his studies in theology the study of religion and foreign languages, he met two women who had a significant impact on his life. Inhe met Fannie Adams, the daughter of a minister, when Chamberlain became the choir director for a local church. They were married on December 7,and eventually had three children although their only son died a few hours after he was born.

The second notable woman that Chamberlain met during his studies at Bowdoin College was Harriet Beecher Stowe —; see entrya devout abolitionist person who worked to end slavery in America. InChamberlain attended several gatherings at which Stowe read excerpts from a novel that she was in the process of writing. This work, called Uncle Tom 's Cabin, was fiercely antislavery in its outlook.

Chamberlain was profoundly moved by the passages that Stowe read at the gatherings. The author's words helped him decide that slavery was an awful practice that should not be permitted to continue in the United States. Uncle Tom 's Cabin, meanwhile, became the most famous antislavery book of all time when it was published a year later.

After concluding his studies at Bowdoin, Chamberlain accepted the school's offer of a professorship. He became one of the college's brightest young professors, teaching courses in foreign languages and rhetoric writing and speaking effectively. He also bought a house in Brunswick, where his family thrived. Inhowever, long-simmering disputes between America's Northern and Southern joshuas chamberlain civil war facts boiled over into war.

For years, the two regions had been arguing over slavery. Many Northerners believed that slavery was wrong and wanted to abolish it. But the economy of the South had been built on slavery, and Southerners resented Northern efforts to halt or contain the practice. In earlythese differences over slavery and other issues convinced several Southern states to secede from leave the United States.

They announced their intention to form a new country, the Confederate States of Americathat would continue to protect slavery. But Northern political leaders were determined to keep the Southern states in the Union. In Aprilthe two sides finally went to war over their differences. When the Civil War began, Chamberlain decided that he wanted to do his part to help keep the Union together.

He wrote to Maine governor Israel Washburn —who was in charge of organizing troops from Maine to serve in the Union Army. The administrators at Bowdoin College, however, did not want to see one of their most talented young instructors leave to go fight in a war. They refused Chamberlain's request for a leave of absence. Instead, they offered him a big promotion and a two-year sabbatical an extended leave of absence given to university professors to travel, rest, or study in Europe.

But Chamberlain was determined to serve in the Union Army. He accepted the college's offer of a European study sabbatical, but instead of departing for Europe, he reported for military service. When Chamberlain joined the army, Washburn offered him command of a new volunteer regiment called the Twentieth Maine, part of the Union's Army of the Potomac.

This offer was not completely unexpected. The Union Army often filled officers' positions with educated men, even if they did not have any military experience. But Chamberlain sensed that he might not be able to handle all the responsibilities of command immediately. Noting that he would prefer to "start a little lower and learn the business first," Chamberlain instead asked to be named lieutenant colonel, the second-highest ranking position in the regiment.

Over the next several weeks, Chamberlain quickly distinguished himself as a sharp young officer. Ames learned to trust his second-in-command, impressed by the former professor's intelligence and desire to learn. In fact, Chamberlain seemed to spend nearly all of his waking moments talking with veteran officers in order to improve his knowledge of military strategy and other subjects.

In SeptemberChamberlain and the other soldiers of the Twentieth Maine were stationed near Sharpsburg, Maryland, site of the bloody Battle of Antietam. The Twentieth Maine was never ordered into the battle, but the troops saw plenty of evidence of war's terrible toll. Chamberlain recalled that the sight of one dead Confederate soldier holding a Bible in his lifeless hands haunted him for the rest of his life.

It clasped a little testament opened at some familiar place. He wore the gray. He was my enemy, this boy. He was dead—the boy, my enemy—but I shall see him forever. In the last months ofthe Twentieth Maine regiment took part in some of the Civil War 's fiercest engagements, including two conflicts in Virginia—the Battle of Fredericksburg in December and the Battle of Chancellorsville in May These clashes featured long stretches of terrible violence that claimed the lives of thousands of Union and Confederate soldiers.

But the Twentieth Maine performed well, and Chamberlain became known both for bravery and concern for his troops. In the spring ofUnion Army leaders transferred Ames to command of another brigade and promoted Chamberlain to colonel of the Twentieth Maine. Chamberlain's leadership qualities continued to blossom in his new position, and the soldiers under his command developed a solid respect for him.

His horror of war continued to stay strong during this time. But Chamberlain felt that his military service had given him a rare opportunity to improve himself, and he sometimes confessed that he loved the excitement and challenges of his new existence. In the summer ofthe Twentieth Maine and the rest of the Army of the Potomac marched into Pennsylvania to stop an invading Confederate force led by General Robert E.

Lee —; see entry. Lee hoped that by bringing the war into the Northern states, he could capture Union supplies and create a surge of antiwar sentiment in the North. The Confederate commander knew that President Abraham Lincoln —; see entry would not be able to continue the war against the South if he did not have the support of the Northern people.

But Lee's progress was stopped outside of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by the Army of the Potomac, a ninety thousand—man force led by General George Meade —; see entry. The first major clash between Meade's forces and Lee's seventy-five thousand—man Army of Northern Virginia erupted on July 1, The Union Army barely held its ground during the first day of fighting.

As the morning of July 2 approached, both armies knew that the next several hours might determine the winner of the whole battle. Meade and his Union officers prepared their defenses for the upcoming Confederate attack, but mix-ups created a big hole in the Union defenses. A wooded hill on the far left flank of the Union defenses was accidentally left unprotected.

If the Confederates gained possession of this hill, known as Little Round Top, they would be able to sweep in behind the Union defenses and crush Meade's army. The Battle of Gettysburg resumed on July 2, as Lee continued with his efforts to push Meade out of the area. But the Confederates were slow to reach the Union's left flanks. A Federal Union officer eventually realized that Little Round Top had been left unprotected, and the North scrambled to send troops to defend it before the rebel Confederate soldiers reached the area.

The last of four regiments sent to defend the hill from the Confederates was the Twentieth Maine. Chamberlain and his men set up defensive positions on the top of Little Round Top, at the very end of the Union line of defenses. He noted that if the advancing Confederate line "was permitted to turn the Federal flank, Little Round Top was untenable [not capable of being defended], and with this little mountain in the Confederates' possession, the whole [Union] position would be untenable.

Once the Twentieth Maine arrived at Little Round Top, Chamberlain rushed to arrange the men under his command behind trees and boulders.