Colonel Chamberlain And The 20th Maine example essay topic

Chamberlain Entering Bowdoin College, Chamberlain studied the traditional classical curriculum and showed particular skill at languages. But first Chamberlain took his Bowdoin A.B. degree, in the Class of 1852, and returned north for three more years of study. Turning down the opportunity to become a minister or missionary, he accepted a position at Bowdoin teaching rhetoric. A good scholar, he was also an orthodox Congregationalist, an important factor to his Bowdoin colleagues, for the College was embroiled in the denominational quarrels of the day. Chamberlain knew little of soldiering despite a short time as a boy at a military school at Ellsworth.

When the sectional crisis led to civil war in 1861, Chamberlain 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. Offered a year's travel with pay in Europe in 1862 to study languages, Chamberlain instead volunteered his military services to Maine " 's governor. He was soon made lieutenant colonel of the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

He is best remembered for two great events: the action at Little Round Top, on the second day of Gettysburg (2 July 1863), when then-Colonel Chamberlain and the 20th Maine held the extreme left flank of the Union line against a fierce rebel attack, and the surrender of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox, when Grant chose Chamberlain to receive the formal surrender of weapons and colors (12 April 1865). Always a chivalrous man, Chamberlain had his men salute the defeated Confederates as they marched by, evidence of his admiration of their valor and of Grant " swish to encourage the rebel armies still in the field to accept the peace. Although never forgotten in Maine, Chamberlain largely faded from national view for most of the 20th century No statue of him was ever erected at Gettysburg; few historians studied his campaigns. But amid the surge of interest in the Civil War in the 1990's he has re-emerged as an exemplary figure among the Union generals, the very model of the citizen-soldier.

Longstreet James Longstreet at age forty-two was the dean of corps commanders at Gettysburg; he had been in corps command twice as long as anybody else on either side. It was he who would command of the Army of Northern Virginia if Lee were incapacitated. He was a man who studied the averages and calculated the odds carefully. Never one to force his chances, he preferred to wait for a situation like the on eat Fredericksburg, where he could prepare his defenses on advantageous terrain and wait for the enemy to shatter himself against them. If the odds were not in his favor, he would wait for the moment when he held the trumps. Longstreet approached his business dispassionately.

To him, victory was the result of thoughtful planning, not heroism. While he supported Lee's bold strategic offensives, it was always with an eye to fighting a defensive battle at the climax of each campaign. His way of evening the odds withthe numerically superior Union army was to conserve hismen's lives, not gamble them needlessly in costly assaults. He thus dealt in human life with a conservatism lacking in many military men, especially in the South.

He showed constant concern for his men's well-being. At When the bullets began to fly, Longstreet " 's immovability translated into a magnificent fearlessness. Longstreet was a native of South Carolina who grew up mostly in Georgia. When the Civil War began in 1861 Longstreet joined the Confederate army with no ambition for glory. Since he waste ranking officer from Alabama, he was instead made a brigadier general. On October 7, Longstreet was given command of the Third Division of the army.

Lee said "Here comes my war horse from the field he has done so much to save!"War Horse" to Lee, "Pete" or "Old Peter" to his men", Dutch" to his West Point pals, sometimes "Bull" or " Bulldog", Longstreet was a man who attracted nicknames. Few colorful stories attached themselves to him, however, because of his phlegmatic personality. Interestingly, Longstreet in the first year of the war had been a popular companion; his headquarters had been a center of socialization where visitors could expect a good time, a fine meal, plenty of whiskey. General Lee followed the custom of pitching his tent close to Longstreet's. Although the two differed fundamentally in their philosophy of how the war should be waged, Lee would continue to value Longstreet even if he was at times presumptuous when he advanced his recommendations to Lee, did not bother his superior with unsolved problems.

Perhaps this is the trait which most endeared Lee to Longstreet Lee's continuing physical closeness with Longstreet indicated respect for his opinions. Fredericksburg, for Longstreet, was the most instructive battle of the war. His men, stoutly prepared, repulsed division after division of Federal attackers. This became the battle he sought to re-fight for the rest of the war. Perhaps it spoiled him, giving him the notion that i fhe got in position and stayed there, impatient Union generals would crash headlong into his prepared defenses like Union they did before. When Lee reunited the army forthe Gettysburg Campaign, Longstreet discussed grand strategy with Lee, and somehow got the impression that Lee was committed to fighting only defensive battles, the kind Longstreet liked.

Combined with Longstreet's liabilities his deliberateness when on the offensive and his habit of sulking when contradicted. This misunderstanding would have terrible consequences for the Army of Northern Virginia in enemy territory..