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Civil War Soldiers - Chamberlain
| Chamberlain, Joshua L., major-general,
U.S. Army, was born in Brewer, Me., Sept. 8, 1828. His father proposed
an army career for him, and sent him at the age of fourteen to the
military academy of Maj. Whiting at Ellsworth, Me., where one lasting
benefit was the compulsory acquirement of some practical acquaintance
with the French language. After some time spent in that institution of
learning, and in teaching country school and other remunerative
employment, he decided to become a minister of the gospel ; and
finally, having committed to memory Kuhner's unabridged Greek grammar
from alphabet to appendix, he entered Bowdoin college with advanced
standing at the age of nineteen. Graduating at the college in 1852, he
entered Bangor theological seminary, where, besides conforming to all
regulations, he read his theology in Latin and his church history in
German, and took up the study of the Hebrew, Syriac and Arabic
languages, to which he continued to devote not less than an hour a day
for six years. Before his graduation, having written the four sermons
required, and occasionally preached them, he received "calls" from
three important churches; but the remarkable impression made by his
"Master's Oration" at Bowdoin in 1855 on "Law and Liberty" led to his
immediate appointment as instructor in the department of natural and
revealed religion. The next year he was elected professor of rhetoric
and oratory and held this place for five years. In July, 1862, leave
of absence for two years was granted him for the purpose of pursuing
his studies in Europe, but the serious reverses of the Union army and
the critical condition of the country at that time seemed to him a
call to service in another field. On Aug. 8 he was made
lieutenant-colonel of the 20th regiment of Maine volunteers. In twenty
days he had the organization complete with full ranks, turned the
command over to Col. Ames of the regular army, and set forth for the
field. The regiment was assigned to Butterfield's division, Porter's
corps, Army of the Potomac. Col. Chamberlain's qualities were tested
in the sharp engagement at Shepherdstown ford immediately after the
battle of Antietam, in September, and in the terrible experiences of
his command in the disastrous battle of Fredericksburg in December he
certainly won the master's degree in his military education. He had an
arduous part in all the trying operations of that winter on the
Rappahannock. In May, 1863, he was made colonel of his regiment,
having already acted in that capacity for three months. At Gettysburg,
July 2, he held the extreme left of the Union line, and his conduct on
that occasion in the memorable defense of Little Round Top won for him
the admiration of the army and public fame, and he was recognized by
the government in the bestowal of the Congressional medal of honor for
"conspicuous personal gallantry and distinguished service." He was
immediately placed in command of the famous "light brigade" of the
division, which he handled with marked skill in the action at
Rappahannock station. At Spottsylvania Court House in May, 1864, he
was placed in command of a "forlorn hope" of nine picked regiments to
make a night assault on a hitherto impregnable point of the enemy's
works. By remarkable judgment and skill he gained the position, but in
the morning it was found to be commanded on both flanks by the enemy
in force, therefore utterly untenable, and the withdrawal ordered was
more difficult than the advance had been. Shortly afterward came the
sharp engagements on the Totopotomy and the North Anna, and the
terrible battles of Bethesda Church and Cold Harbor, in all of which
his coolness of judgment and quickness of action drew special
commendation. He was promoted to colonel of the 20th Maine on May 18,
as stated above, and one month later, in command of a brigade, he made
the desperate charge on Rives' salient in the Petersburg lines, where
Gen. Grant promoted him on the field to the rank of brigadier-general
"for gallant conduct in leading his brigade against a superior force
of the enemy and for meritorious service" in that terrible campaign of
1864. In this assault he was seriously wounded and reported dead, but
after two months of intense suffering he returned to his command. In
the last campaign of the war, with two brigades he led the advance of
the infantry with Sheridan, and made the brilliant opening fight on
the Quaker road, March 29, 1865, where he was twice wounded (in the
left arm and breast), and his horse was shot under him. His conduct
again drew attention of the government, and he was promoted to the
brevet rank of major-general "for conspicuous gallantry" in this
action. On the White Oak road, March 31, although much disabled by
wounds, he distinguished himself by recovering a lost field; and in
the battle of Five Forks, April 1, his promptitude and skillful
handling of troops received special official mention. In the final
action at Appomattox Court House, April 9, he was called by Gen.
Sheridan to replace his leading division of cavalry, and the first
flag of truce from Longstreet came to him. His corps commander says in
an official report: "In the final action Gen. Chamberlain had the
advance, and was driving the enemy rapidly before him when the
announcement of the surrender was made." At the formal surrender of
Lee's army he was designated to command the parade before which that
army laid down the arms and colors of the Confederacy. At the final
grand review in Washington, his division had the honor of being placed
at the head of the column of the Army of the Potomac, and his troops,
fresh from the surrender at Appomattox, were received by the thronging
spectators as might be imagined. In the reorganization of the regular
army at the close of hostilities he was offered a colonelcy, with the
privilege of retiring with the rank of brigadier-general, on account
of wounds received in the service. Not caring to be a soldier in time
of peace, he declined this offer, and was mustered out of military
service Jan. 15, 1866. Returning to Maine he was offered the choice of
several diplomatic offices abroad, but almost as soon as he was out of
the army, he was elected governor of the state by the largest majority
ever given in that commonwealth. His administration was very
satisfactory and he was continued in that office for four terms. While
popular with the people he was in some disfavor with his party because
he did not approve the policy of conferring the privilege of the
"suffrage" on the lately liberated slaves, holding that reconstruction
could only be effected by and through the best minds of the south, a
position that history has thoroughly vindicated. In 1871 Gen.
Chamberlain was elected president of Bowdoin college, and held that
position until 1883, when he resigned, although continuing to lecture
on public law and public economy until 1885. He was appointed
major-general of Maine militia in 1876, was United States commissioner
to the Paris exposition in 1878, and in 1885 he went to Florida as
president of a railroad construction company. In 1900 he was appointed
by President McKinley surveyor of customs at the port of Portland, and
is still the efficient occupant of that position. Thus it will be seen
that Gen. Chamberlain is still an active man of affairs. He is in
great request as a speaker on public occasions and as a writer he has
an extended reputation. He has recently been engaged in writing out
his notes on the last campaign of the Army of the Potomac, which he
contemplates publishing under the title, "The Passing of the Armies:
Last Campaign of Grant and Lee." He also revised and edited the
manuscript pertaining to the state military history of Maine, which
appears as a part of this publication.
Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal
States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
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