Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and Little Round Top

A lesson created by Michael Hutchison for the PBS Civil War series, 2002

…At that crisis, I ordered the bayonet. The word was enough.

-- Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, from his report

Introduction:

This activity highlights one of the most pivotal aspects of the Battle of Gettysburg; the defense of Little Round Top by the 20^th Maine Volunteers, commanded by Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. The 20^th Maine represented the end of the left side of the line on Little Round Top, and had been ordered by Colonel Strong Vincent to hold the position at all costs and not to retreat.

Several times, men of the 14^th Alabama attempted to overrun Chamberlain’s position. The 20^th Maine continued to repel them. Finally, sensing that his men’s ammunition was running low, Chamberlain ordered a counterattack against the advancing Confederate forces by leading a bayonet charge down the hill while wheeling right. For this action, Chamberlain was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

In this activity, students will review Chamberlain’s own reports regarding the fighting at Little Round Top and make conclusions regarding his statements.

Standards:

This lesson addresses the following national content standards established by the Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL). (http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks/):

History Standards:

• Understands the course and character of the Civil War and its effects on the American people
• Understands the technological, social, and strategic aspects of the Civil War (e.g., the impact of innovations in military technology; turning points of the war; leaders of the Confederacy and Union; conditions, characteristics, and armies of the Confederacy and Union; major areas of Civil War combat)
• Understands how different groups of people shaped the Civil War (e.g., the motives and experiences of Confederate and white and African American Union soldiers, different perspectives on conscription, the effects of divided loyalties)
• Understands military events that influenced the outcome of the Civil War (e.g., the "hammering campaigns" of Generals Grant and Sherman, the wartime leadership of Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln)

Related resources for this lesson:

Colonel Chamberlain’s “Report on Gettysburg” can be found at:

http://www.swcivilwar.com/ChamberlainReportGettysburg.html. (Chamberlain’s report is part of the “American Civil War: The Struggle to Preserve the Union web site, located at http://www.swcivilwar.com/).

Supplemental resources for this lesson:

Several related web sites relating to Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain can be found and used as supplemental materials.

http://www.lenweaver.com/joshua/ (an online tribute to Chamberlain)

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Aegean/6732/files/jlc1.html (a biography of Chamberlain from the “Life Stories of Civil War Heroes” web site.)

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Aegean/6732/jlc.html (the complete Chamberlain pages area from the “Life Stories of Civil War Heroes” site)

http://www.ragz-international.com/Chamberlain.htm. (Includes a biographical sketch as well as other information about Little Round Top, and Chamberlain’s career.)

http://www.nps.gov/gett/ (National Parks Service’s Gettysburg National Military Park page.)

http://www.nps.gov/gett/getteducation/teachguide.htm (National Parks Service’s Gettysburg Teacher Resource page)

Strategy for the lesson:

The teacher may open this lesson with a discussion of the Battle of Gettysburg as well as Little Round Top. The Civil War (Ward, Burns, Burns) has a well-written description of the battle, beginning on page 214 and continuing until page 236, including several battle maps and photographs of the battle scene and the aftermath of the battle. The segment of the Civil War series highlighting the battle is a suggested reference also. The teacher may elect to have the students view the Little Round Top segment of the film, Gettysburg (1993). While it is a dramatic account of the battle and Chamberlain’s role, the film does fairly accurately portray the events of that part of the battle, and Chamberlain is realistically portrayed by actor Jeff Daniels in the film.

After the discussion, direct students to the web page containing Colonel Chamberlain’s report, or distribute photocopies of it. Distribute the question sheet and have the students fill in answers to the questions.

Extension Activity:

The teacher may wish to have students compare the background of other soldiers who came from unlikely military backgrounds, such as Audie Murphy or Alvin C. York. Students might prepare reports about how individuals such as York, Murphy, and Chamberlain rise from positions of civilian life to become military leaders and heroes.

Question Sheet for Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

1. How does Chamberlain describe the condition of his men in the immediate period prior to the defense of Little Round Top?

He notes they “were much worn… adding that rations were scarcely issued, and the men were preparing supper” when orders came to march to Gettysburg.

2. Chamberlain notes that Colonel (Strong) Vincent gave him specific orders regarding the 20^th Maine on Little Round Top. What did Vincent order Chamberlain to do? Why?

Vincent ordered Chamberlain to “hold (that) ground at all costs”. The reasons Vincent made this order was that the 20^th Maine was at the extreme length of the general line of the Union. Had the Confederates passed the 20^th Maine, they could have flanked the Union forces, and the battle may have been lost.

3. As Chamberlain reported, artillery fire on his position had been “constant and heavy”, but he had scarcely completed his troop formation when a “vigorous infantry assault against the center of our brigade” began. How did Chamberlain defend against the Confederate attack?

“I immediately stretched my regiment to the left by taking intervals to the left flank, and that the same time “refusing” my left wing, so it was nearly at right angles with my right.”

4. While the Confederates continually pounded Chamberlain’s position with the infantry attacks, the 20^th Maine continued to hold. How did Chamberlain describe this action?

Chamberlain reported, “they renewed their assault on our whole front, and for an hour, the fighting was severe. Squads of the enemy broke through our line in several places, and the fight was literally hand to hand.”

Chamberlain added, “the edge of the fight rolled backward and forward like a wave. The dead and wounded were now in our front and then in our rear. Forced from our position, we desperately recovered it, and pushed the enemy down to the foot of the slope.”

5. During the lulls between attacks, Chamberlain realized that the enemy had inflicted severe losses on his regiment, both in men and material. According to Chamberlain, by the time the Confederates made their final charge, how much of his regiment had been killed or wounded? How did Chamberlain replenish his ammunition? What other concern (“anxiety”) did Chamberlain have at this point?

Chamberlain noted that “One half of my left wing had fallen, and a third of my regiment lay just behind us, dead or badly wounded.” Chamberlain ordered his men to gather ammunition from the cartridge-boxes “disabled friend or foe on the field, and even to secure better muskets than the Enfields, which we found did not stand service well.”

Chamberlain also noted, “a great roar of musketry struck into my left rear, and I feared the enemy might have nearly surrounded the Little Round Top”.

6. At this point, Chamberlain recognized that his men’s ammunition was nearly gone, and they could not withstand another Confederate assault on the position. What did Chamberlain order at that point?

Chamberlain noted that “it was imperative to strike before we were struck by this overwhelming force into a hand to hand fight which we could not probably have withstood or survived. At that crisis, I ordered the bayonet. The word was enough. It ran like fire along the line, from man to man, and rose into a shout, with which they sprang forward upon the enemy, not now 30 yards away.

7. Describe the effect of Chamberlain’s order on the course of the battle.

Chamberlain noted that the “effect was surprising; many of the enemy’s first line threw down their arms and surrendered. An officer fired his pistol at my head with one hand, while he handed me is sword with the other.”

Chamberlain added, “holding fast by our right, and swinging forward our left, we made an extended right wheel, before which the enemy’s second line broke and fell back, fighting from tree to tree, many being captured, until we had swept the valley and cleared the front of nearly our entire brigade.”

8. Toward the end of his report, Chamberlain notes statistics regarding his fighting force in the battle of Little Round Top. Describe the number of men Chamberlain took into the fight, and the condition of the force. He also mentions the number of “loss”, including three officers. What statistics does Chamberlain give about Union losses among the “Maine men”?

Chamberlain said “We went into the fight with 386, all told 358 guns. Every pioneer and musician who could carry a musket went into the ranks. Even the sick and foot-sore, who could not keep in the march, came up as soon as they could find their regiments, and took their places in the line of battle, while it was battle, indeed. Some prisoners I had under guard, under sentence of court-martial, I was obligated to put into the fight, and they bore their part well, for which I shall recommend a commutation of their sentence.

As far as the loss, Chamberlain listed it as 136-30 of whom were killed, “among the wounded are many mortally.”

He also noted, “Captain Billings, Lieutenant Kendall, and Lieutenant Linscott are officers whose loss we deeply mourn- efficient soldiers, and pure and high-minded men.

9. How does Chamberlain report about any meritorious service among his men during the battle for Little Round Top?

Chamberlain noted, “In such an engagement there were many incidents of heroism and noble character which should have place even in an official report; but, under present circumstances, I am unable to do justice to them. I will say of the regiment that the resolution, courage, and heroic fortitude which enabled us to withstand so formidable an attack have happily led to so conspicuous a result that they may safely trust to history to record their merits.”

10. Although many credit Chamberlain’s valor and courage in holding Little Round Top as crucial in winning the Battle of Gettysburg, if not the entire Civil War, his achievement was largely forgotten by most history books and historians until the 1990s. Why do you think this might be so?

Answers vary. Some students might note that Chamberlain’s background was not as strongly military –based career wise as many other Union soldiers, and his political ambition after the war seemed to be limited to Maine only, as compared to other military leaders, such as McClellan, Grant, or Sherman. Also, it was possible the tendency was to ignore Little Round Top for better-chronicled phases of the battle, such as Pickett’s Charge.