{"id":2167276,"date":"2024-02-04T05:11:03","date_gmt":"2024-02-04T10:11:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-legend-from-little-round-top\/"},"modified":"2024-02-04T05:14:17","modified_gmt":"2024-02-04T10:14:17","slug":"the-legend-from-little-round-top","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-legend-from-little-round-top\/","title":{"rendered":"The Little Round Top Legend"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">10<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthe-legend-from-little-round-top%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2167276&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The Unlikely Heroism of Joshua\u200c Lawrence Chamberlain<\/h2>\n<div>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Joshua\u200c Lawrence Chamberlain may not have commanded a great army like William Sherman or steered a warship into battle like David Farragut. He wasn&#8217;t even elected president based on his Civil War record like Ulysses Grant. However, Chamberlain \u2062has \u2063become an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/profs-scoff-at-nikole-hannah-jones-tenure-suit\/\" title=\"Profs Scoff at Nikole Hannah-Jones Tenure Suit\">iconic figure<\/a> among Civil War enthusiasts, particularly those \u200cwho consider the battle of \u200dGettysburg to be the war&#8217;s defining moment.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>A\u2063 Desperate Gamble<\/h3>\n<p>On \u200bthe second day of the battle, a determined Confederate \u200battack threatened to \u2064overwhelm the Union\u2063 forces on Little Round Top, a wooded hill. It was Chamberlain and his regiment, the 20th Maine Volunteers, who\u2062 stood in the \u200cway. Running low on ammunition, Chamberlain made a bold decision: he ordered his men to \u2063fix bayonets and charge\u2062 downhill at the Confederates, catching them off guard. Against all odds, it worked. Little Round Top was saved,\u2064 and with it, the battle of Gettysburg and possibly the Union itself.<\/p>\n<p><i>Presumption<\/i> is the\u2062 key word here. For decades after\u200c the battle, Union veteran organizations chose to meet on Cemetery Hill, not Little Round Top, considering it the crucial military position during the three-day clash in July\u2064 1863. However, in \u20621957, John J. Pullen&#8217;s \u2063 <i>The Twentieth \u2064Maine: A Volunteer Regiment in \u2062the Civil\u200c War<\/i> \u2062 brought Chamberlain and Little Round Top back into the \u200dspotlight. This resurgence continued with Michael Shaara&#8217;s <i>The Killer Angels<\/i> in \u200b1974, which was later adapted into the \u2064film\u200c <i>Gettysburg<\/i>. Chamberlain&#8217;s image became ubiquitous, adorning keychains, t-shirts, and Christmas ornaments.<\/p>\n<h3>A Legacy of Books<\/h3>\n<p>Alongside the merchandise, numerous books have been written about \u2063Chamberlain&#8217;s life\u2063 and legacy. These include works such as Alice \u2063Rains Trulock&#8217;s <i>In \u200bthe Hands of Providence: Joshua L. Chamberlain and the American Civil War<\/i> and Tom Desjardin&#8217;s\u2063 <i>Joshua L. Chamberlain: A Life in Letters<\/i>. Ronald C. White&#8217;s <i>On Great\u200d Fields<\/i> takes Chamberlain worship to new heights, praising his postwar efforts to\u2062 foster reconciliation between the North \u200cand South.<\/p>\n<h3>A Complex Figure<\/h3>\n<p>White, not primarily a Civil War historian, brings his\u2064 readable style to Chamberlain&#8217;s biography. He covers the \u2062major events of Chamberlain&#8217;s life, from his New England Puritan roots to his service in the Union Army and\u200b subsequent political\u200b and academic career. However, questions persist about Chamberlain&#8217;s impact. His terms as governor of Maine were unremarkable, and \u200che played no significant role in\u200b Reconstruction. His attempts to \u2064portray himself as a hero in the postwar years were met \u2064with criticism from fellow veterans. Even his claims of commanding the Union side at Appomattox have been debunked.<\/p>\n<p>Despite these uncertainties, Chamberlain&#8217;s fame endures, largely thanks to a novel and a movie. However, it remains unclear why Chamberlain receives such adulation, and White himself does not delve\u200c deeply \u2064into the\u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/even-though-the-pandemic-is-over-the-coast-guard-still-denies-religious-exemptions-to-covid-jab-mandate\/\" title=\"Even Though \u2018The Pandemic Is Over,\u2019 The Coast Guard Still Denies Religious Exemptions To Covid Jab Mandate\">military aspects<\/a> of the Gettysburg battle. Nevertheless, Chamberlain&#8217;s story serves \u2064as a\u2063 reminder that reputations can be fragile and subject to interpretation.<\/p>\n<p><em>On Great Fields: The Life and Unlikely Heroism of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain<\/em> by Ronald C. White<\/p>\n<p>Review by Allen C. Guelzo, director of the\u200c Initiative on Politics and Statesmanship in Princeton University&#8217;s James Madison Program and author of <em>Robert E. Lee: A Life<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2>Who\u2062 was\u2063 the hero of Little Round Top at \u200cGettysburg?<\/h2>\n<p><span>Anyone who \u2064knows\u200c the Civil War history of Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg likely remembers the name of the man \u2062who held the\u200d hill, Army \u2062Maj. Gen. Joshua Chamberlain. His actions July 2, 1863, were pivotal\u200b to the Union winning that crucial battle, and, years \u2063later, they earned\u200d him the Medal of Honor. <\/p>\n<h3>The Hero Emerges<\/h3>\n<p>Chamberlain&#8217;s heroic actions on Little Round Top solidified his legacy as one of the Civil War&#8217;s most unlikely heroes. Born \u200cin Brewer, Maine in 1828, Chamberlain initially had no <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cold-war-mentality-china-slams-bipartisan-bill-bolstering-american-competitiveness\/\" title=\"\u2018Cold War Mentality\u2019: China Slams Bipartisan Bill Bolstering American Competitiveness\">military ambitions<\/a>. \u200cHe pursued a career in academia, earning a \u200cdoctorate in theology and becoming a professor at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. However, when the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jake-sullivan-says-russian-black-sea-interference-could-be-enormous-diplomatic-cost\/\" title=\"Jake Sullivan warns of significant diplomatic consequences due to Russian interference in the Black Sea.\">war \u2063broke<\/a> out in 1861,\u200d Chamberlain felt a deep sense of duty \u2063and enlisted in the Union army.<\/p>\n<p>Chamberlain&#8217;s leadership and bravery\u200d on the battlefield were evident\u200c from the start. He quickly rose \u200bthrough the ranks and was \u200deventually given command of the 20th Maine \u2063Volunteers. It was during the battle of Gettysburg \u200bthat Chamberlain would\u200c etch his name in history. His decisive actions on \u200bLittle Round Top saved the day for \u200cthe Union army.<\/p>\n<p>Charging down the hill with bayonets fixed and running out of ammunition, Chamberlain and his men caught the Confederates off guard. They fought valiantly and held their ground, effectively \u200dhalting the Confederate advance. Their\u200d success had far-reaching consequences,\u200c as it allowed the Union army to\u2064 maintain their position and ultimately secure victory at Gettysburg.<\/p>\n<h3>The Aftermath and Legacy<\/h3>\n<p>Chamberlain&#8217;s \u2063heroism at\u200b Gettysburg earned\u200d him \u200cnumerous accolades, including the Medal of Honor, which was awarded to him many years later in 1893.\u200c After the war, Chamberlain went on to serve as the governor \u2063of Maine\u2062 and later as the president\u200c of Bowdoin College. He was \u200dalso present at Appomattox Court \u200dHouse when General Robert E. Lee surrendered, marking the end of the Civil War.<\/p>\n<p>Chamberlain&#8217;s legacy continued to grow long after his death in 1914. \u200dHis \u2063character and leadership were showcased in \u200cvarious literary works and films\u200b that immortalized his role in the battle of Gettysburg. In addition to Pullen&#8217;s book and Shaara&#8217;s\u2064 novel, Ken Burns&#8217; acclaimed documentary series &#8220;The \u200bCivil War&#8221; also featured Chamberlain as a key figure.<\/p>\n<p>Today, \u200dChamberlain&#8217;s statue stands proudly on Little Round Top, a testament to his remarkable bravery and leadership. His unlikely heroism serves as a reminder that true courage and heroism can come from the most unexpected places and in the most challenging \u2063circumstances.<\/p>\n<h3>Conclusion<\/h3>\n<p>While he may not have had the fame and recognition of other\u200d Civil War heroes, \u200cJoshua\u200c Lawrence Chamberlain&#8217;s heroism \u200con \u2063Little Round Top at\u2063 the battle of\u2063 Gettysburg has secured his place in history. His decisive actions and unwavering\u2063 leadership demonstrated the true \u200bspirit of a hero, saving the Union\u2062 and shaping\u200d the course of the Civil War. Chamberlain&#8217;s \u2064legacy \u2062continues to inspire \u200band captivate Civil War \u2064enthusiasts, reminding us that heroism can\u2063 emerge from even the most unlikely sources.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, though not a commander of a large army or a renowned naval officer, nor a president like Grant, has emerged as a prominent figure in the Civil War. His distinctiveness among countless others is undeniable<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2180,"featured_media":2167277,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Untitled-design-20.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2167276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Untitled-design-20.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2167276","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2180"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2167276"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2167276\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2167277"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2167276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2167276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2167276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}