Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

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Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was a Union General during the Civil war. He became a hero for his valor and bravery at Little Round Top. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery at the Battle of Gettysburg. Chamberlain’s defense of Little Round Top won the Battle of Gettysburg and saved the Union army from total destruction. Chamberlain was born on September 8, 1828 in Brewer, Maine. He married Fanny Adams and had five children. He attended Bowdoin College and graduated in 1852. After he graduated from Bowdoin, he studied theology at Bangor Theological Seminary. Following his graduation from Bangor he returned to Bowdoin College to work as a professor teaching rhetoric and foreign language. He taught for about seven years …show more content…
My ammunition was soon exhausted. My men were firing their last shot and getting ready to “club” their muskets. It was imperative to strike before we were struck by this overwhelming force in a hand-to-hand fight, which we could not probably have withstood or survived. At that crisis, I ordered the bayonet.” (Report of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain)
Chamberlain’s foot was wounded by a piece of stone or shell fragment, but he carried on fighting. Realizing that reinforcements would not arrive anytime soon, Chamberlain ordered a bayonet charge (Carlton 24). The bayonet charge successfully repelled the Confederates. Many of the Confederate Soldiers either surrendered or retreated. In his book The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara portrays the Confederate retreat through the perspective of Chamberlain:
“He looked up to see an open space. The Rebs had begun to fall back; now they were running. He had never seen them run; he stared, began limping forward to see. Great cries, incredible sounds, firing and yelling The Regiment was driving a line, swinging to the fight, into the dark valley. Men were surrendering.” …show more content…
When he recovered from the infection, he rejoined the army in May of 1864. However, his return to combat lasted a short few weeks due to a wound at Petersburg. During the battle of Petersburg, Chamberlain was gravely wounded. A bullet pierced through his hips and his pelvis. The wound caused Chamberlain to faint, and his doctors doubted he would survive. Remarkably, Chamberlain survived his injury, and returned to active duty in November of 1864. During the final months of the war, Chamberlain took part in many Union victories. At the surrender of Appomattox, Grant chose Chamberlain to accept the Confederate’s formal surrender.
When the Civil War ended, Chamberlain returned to Maine. His injuries continued to affect him for the rest of his life. Chamberlain became involved in state politics and was the governor of Maine for four years. After governing, he became the president of Bowdoin College for twelve years. Chamberlain also wrote many memoirs and books about his experiences of the
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