Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was born on September 8, 1828, in Maine. Before the Civil War, he worked as a college professor. When the conflict broke out, he volunteered to join the Union Army.
Chamberlain rose through the ranks to become a highly respected and decorated officer. He eventually reached the rank of brigadier general and brevet major general. His most famous moment came at the Battle of Gettysburg, where his actions earned him the Medal of Honor.
On July 2, 1863, the second day of the battle, Union forces were recovering from setbacks. They were hastily regrouping into defensive positions on the line of hills south of town. Sensing the vulnerability of the Union forces, the Confederates attacked the Union left flank.
Chamberlain’s brigade, commanded by Colonel Strong Vincent, was sent to defend Little Round Top. The army’s chief engineer, Brigadier General Gouverneur K. Warren, ordered the move. Chamberlain found himself with the 20th Maine at the far left end of the entire Union line.
He quickly understood the importance of the small hill. He knew the 20th Maine had to hold the Union left at all costs. The men from Maine waited as the 15th Regiment Alabama Infantry, commanded by Colonel William C. Oates, charged up the hill. The Confederates attempted to flank the Union position.
Time and again, the Confederates struck. The 20th Maine was nearly doubled back upon itself. Casualties were heavy, and ammunition was running low.
Colonel Chamberlain recognized the dire situation. He ordered his left wing, which was now looking southeast compared to the rest of the regiment facing west, to fix bayonets and charge. During the battle, Chamberlain sustained two slight wounds. One came when a shot hit his sword and bruised his thigh. Another struck his right foot with a bullet or piece of shrapnel. He also personally took a Confederate prisoner with his saber during the charge.
In April 1864, Chamberlain returned to the Army of the Potomac. He was promoted to brigadier commander shortly before the siege of Petersburg. He was given command of the First Brigade, First Division, of the Fifth Corps.
On June 18, during the Second Battle of Petersburg, Chamberlain was shot through the right hip and groin. The bullet exited his left hip. Despite the injury, he withdrew his sword and stuck it into the ground to keep himself upright. He stood for several minutes until he collapsed and lay unconscious from loss of blood.
The division surgeon considered the wound mortal and predicted he would perish. Newspapers incorrectly reported his death in battle. Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant gave Chamberlain a battlefield promotion to brigadier general after receiving an urgent letter from corps commander Major General Gouverneur K. Warren, who said Chamberlain was not expected to live.
Chamberlain displayed surprising will and courage. With the support of his brother Tom, he was back in command by November. Although many, including his wife, urged him to resign, he was determined to serve through the end of the war.
On the morning of April 9, 1865, Chamberlain learned of General Robert E. Lee’s desire to surrender the Army of Northern Virginia. A Confederate staff officer approached him under a flag of truce. The officer said he was from General Gordon and that Lee desired a truce until he could hear from General Grant about surrender.
The next day, Chamberlain was summoned to Union headquarters. Major General Charles Griffin informed him that he had been selected to preside over the parade of Confederate infantry as part of their formal surrender at Appomattox Courthouse on April 12.
Chamberlain lived a long life. He died from his wartime wounds in 1914 in Portland, Maine, at the age of 85. He is buried in Pine Grove Cemetery. He was the last Civil War veteran to die as a result of wounds from the war and is considered by some to be the last casualty of the conflict.