1863. gor, Edwin H. Dunn, Bangor, and Lewis F. Morse, Veazie, battery D, 5th cook. D. Chamberlain's Company G, Twentieth Regiment From the Company B monument, located about 50 yards to the east of the main monument on Little Round Top: Position of Company B, 20th Me. Alabama Regiments, Rosters and Muster Rolls. First Lieutenant, Henry F. Sidelinger, Union, commanding company. He hastily sent messengers to Meade and Sickles, requesting immediate assistance. When the regiment came under heavy attack from the Confederate 15th and 47th Alabama regiments (part of the division led by Maj. Gen. John Bell Hood), the 20th Maine ran low on ammunition after one and a half hours of continuous fighting; it responded to the sight of rebel infantry forming again for yet another push up the slope at them by instead suddenly charging downhill with fixed bayonets, surprising and scattering the Confederates, thus ending the attack on the hill and the attempt to flank the hill position and move around the south end of the Federal "fishhook". To his utter chagrin, Warren found Little Round Top completely undefended. The 7th Maine does not have the cachet of its more famous sister regiment, the 20th Maine, but it probably represents a better cross-section of the state as a whole than the 20th. Duty at Bell's Cross Roads till June 5. Perhaps Company H did hesitate on the left because they were taking heavy fire when the charge started. George W. Reynolds, Sidney, Albert M, Clark, Waterville. "It was without pride. mortally, shot in left lung, died July 24, buried 6th Corps He not only had made the right command decisions but also had managed to survive when by all rights he should have been dead. The 20th Maine Infantry Regiment was a volunteer regiment of the United States Army during the American Civil War (1861-1865), most famous for its defense of Little Round Top at the Battle of Gettysburg in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 1-3, 1863.The 133rd Engineer Battalion of the Maine Army National Guard and the United States Army today carries on the lineage and traditions of the 20th . Walter G. Morrill, detached as skirmishers, attacking the enemys right flank, afternoon of July 2, 1863. Confederate reports showed that the Union company had been magnified into two regiments. Source: Maine is not an especially large state. It would never again have as many men in its ranks as it did at Little Round Top. On Special Duty or Detached Service; George W. Carlton, Lew- Second Lieutenant, Thomas R. Hogue, Waldoboro. Joshua Chamberlain was promoted to Colonel and commander of the regiment. The general did not want to fight at Gettysburg, but alert Union horsemen had reached the area a fact that would put a wrinkle in Lees plans. Colonel Chamberlain returned to Maine on an extended sick leave for malarial fever.. Maine at Gettysburg was published in 1898 in the words of its authors, "to commemorate and perpetuate the conspicuous valor and heroism of Maine soldiers on that decisive battlefield of the war of the rebellion." 20th Maine. Thomas Chamberlain, a young non-commissioned officer summed Ames up best when he wrote, "I tell you, he is about as savage a man you ever saw . Captain Spear said he never received a formal order to charge he charged only after he saw the colors start forward. Hawkins' Division of 6,000 Black Troops. Alabama. living history of these brave men that we may never forget their contributions. To mark the return to Maine of the 20th Maine's restored Gettysburg battle flag the Maine State Museum opened an exhibit September 5th, 1998. Corporal Vincent W. Pinhom, wounded, hip. During the battle, he brutally kills a Confederate soldier in hand-to-hand combat. Commissary-Sergeant, Elmas M. Kalloch, Warren. The 20th Regiment, Maine Infantry was organized at Portland, and mustered in August 29, 1862. U.S. Army Heritage & Education Center th Civil War Unit: 20 Maine Infantry Regiment 950 Soldiers Drive Carlisle Barracks, PA 17013-5021 17 Oct 2012 1 20th Maine Infantry Regiment Chamberlain, Joshua L. Address.at the Dedication of the Maine Monuments, Battlefield of Gettysburg, October 3, 1889. Rice, Bangor, quarterm'r depl. James R. Merrill, Priv. Goodwin S. Ireland, Priv. This page is dedicated to them and to the many groups of citizen reenactors who provide a Chamberlain seemed to have been blessed with both good timing and luck. Although the 650-foot-high Little Round Top was overshadowed by its larger neighbor, its position was more important because much of the hill was cleared of trees and it could better accommodate troops. Recruits transferred to 20th Maine Infantry 2023 Steve A. Hawks . Mustered with over 1,600 troops on July 2, 1862, after Lincoln's second call for volunteers, the 20th Maine was reduced to under 300 by the . Joshua L. Chamberlain was the regiment's lieutenant colonel. The 2nd Maine men were in a state of mutiny and refused to fight, angry because the bulk of the regiment men with only two-year enlistments had been discharged and sent home, and the regiment had been disbanded. Many American junior officers still look up to Chamberlain. Chaplain, Luther P. French, East Corinth; at hospital. Leach, George W., wounded and prisoner; died Dec. i, 1863, in prison. Army. The Regt. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first. By law, however, the men still owed the Army another year of service. Second Lieutenant, Mattson C. Sanborn, South Berwick. Another crisis soon faced the Maine soldiers when the left side of the regiment drew even with the right, short of its planned position. [First Lieutenant Ruhis B. Plummer of co. C, commanding.]. They received no words of farewell on leaving their state. Sergeant Isaac N. Lathrop, wounded; died July 3, 1863. to Research and Current Projects. Two other men were wounded, and Lieutenant Colonel Chamberlain lost the first of many horses shot from under him during the Civil War. These sharpshooters skirmishing abilities were unequaled in the Union Army, and a 14-man squad was attached to Company B. The Mobile Campaign, Battle of Fort Blakely and Spanish Fort. Although the 20th Maine Infantry gets a lot of attention for its actions at Gettysburg, due mostly to its prominence in the 1993 film Gettysburg, other regiments from the Pine Tree State played important but overlooked roles in the battle.One of those regiments was Colonel Moses Lakeman's 3rd Maine. It was as if fate had brought them together. Corporal Elisha Coan, a member of the 20th Maines color guard, claimed that 1st Lt. Holman S. Melcher, the acting commander of Company F, actually conceived the idea to advance the colors and that Colonel Chamberlain initially hesitated, fearing that it would be extremely hazardous. Once again Little Round Top went wanting for protectors in blue. Acting First Sergeant, William Griffin, Stockton. It is believed the wound was eventually responsible for Chamberlains death, 50 years later in 1914. Div. Elbridge, Nichols David, Robinson Albert, Smith Joshua, Wilson Wilmot, First Sergeant, Charles R. Shorey, Waterville. 20th Maine Regiment Infantry ROSTERS: The composite rosters of this unit contain the names of 1 man. Colonel Ames was promoted to brigadier general and given command of a brigade in the 11th Corps, and Lt. Portland, ME: Lakeside, 1889. John Wentworth; Co. F, Priv. George H. Moulton, Lagrange, William H. Owen, Milo, Charles E. Bowker, Orrington battery L, ist Ohio. The 20th Maine was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War, renowned for its action on Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg of the American Civil War. and that Chamberlain himself was abreast of the colors. Hand-written roster and service record of the 41st Regiment, Co. E, New York State Volunteers. dept; Thomas Arnold, Warren; Oeorge H. Dow, Warren. Some take his deeds out of context, however, and mythologize him. Laforrest P. True, Clinton, John Reed, Jr., Eustis. But in July 1862, sensing perhaps that the war was going to last a good deal longer than he had first believed, Chamberlain offered his services to the Union cause. United States' service near Washington, D.C., by Captain Charles F. [citation needed]. Willey, William E., Belgrade, Young, Ervin S.. Solon. According to Confederate Colonel Oates, it was the surprise fire of Company B that caused the disastrous panic in his soldiers. From the regiments monument near the summit of Big Round Top: The 20th Maine Reg. When their ammunition had almost run out, Chamberlain decided to fix bayonets and charge down into the two Alabama regiments. In late 1865 Joshua Chamberlain wrote of the 20th Maine, "It was made of the surplus recruits drifted together, the last of a call for 300,000 more. Second Lieutenant James H. Stanwood, wounded, leg. Moses Davis, Priv. The regiment later participated in every major battle with the Army of the Potomac, but Gettysburg had been its moment in the sun. USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration It was not, Chamberlain noted, one of the states favorite fighting units No county claimed it; no city gave it a flag; and there was no send-off at the station. Stay up-to-date on the American Battlefield Trust's battlefield preservation efforts, travel tips, upcoming events, history content and more. Thos. Grand Review May 23. Chamberlain and 20th Maine, Gettysburg reunion, 1889. [1]. . Cunningham Warren, Dickinson, James, Flagg Orlando, Foss Job, Herscomb Vincents brigade included the 44th New York, 16th Michigan, 83rd Pennsylvania and the 358-man 20th Maine under Joshua L. Chamberlain. Commanding officer Col. Ames was trained as a military officer. Colonel Adelbert Ames of Rockland, commander of the regiment, knew the soldiers were an independent lot and would not always obey orders with questioning or commenting on them. The regiment lost four men killed and 32 wounded, charging deadly Maryes Heights late in the day on the 13th and spending the next day and two nights lying in the open in front of Confederate positions. ster quartermaster's dept. In doing so, Chamberlain exercised effective battle command. Aaaron Adams, Priv. return to 20th Maine Homepage. Isaac B Dickinson, John P West, Melville C Day; Privates Ames John T, . The 20th Maine marched from Appomattox, Virginia, on May 2, reaching the national capital at Washington, D.C., on May 12, where the remaining original members were mustered out of service on June 4, 1865, with the remainder of the regiment leaving the federal service on July 16. This page was last edited on 5 December 2022, at 20:47. For many years, historians and writers have given the lions share of the credit for the 20ths dramatic action on Little Round Top to Chamberlain. 20th Maine, Company G . He sympathized with the mutineers and wrote to Maine Governor Abner Coburn, asking that he write to the men personally about the mix-up in three-year versus two-year contracts they had signed. Captain Nichols wrote in 1882 that Company K never hesitated. Chamberlain ordered a right-wheel maneuver and took up a place behind Tozier. The 16th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 9 officers and 172 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 257 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. Elliott L. Fogg, Priv. The 133rd Engineer Battalion of the Maine Army National Guard and the United States Army today carries on the lineage and traditions of the 20th Maine. No city gave them a flag. Organized at Readville under Colonel William R. Lee, mexican War veteran and distant relative of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The 20th Maine regiment was mustered out of service on June 16, 1865. Many were named officers because of their success at recruiting volunteers for the Maine regiments. . At . Advance to: 20th Maine . Hospital Steward, Granville M. Baker, Standish. The 16th Michigan took up a position on the right flank, and the 44th New York and 83rd Pennsylvania held the center. . The 6th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 12 officers and 141 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 officers and 100 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. On Special Duty or Detached Service: Charles W. Jackins, Bangor, But Colonel Strong Vincent, who commanded the 3rd Brigade of Brig. Then a pistol aimed and fired by a Southern officer misfired only a few feet from Chamberlains face. As the 20th Maines center began to break and give ground in the face of the Alabama regiments onslaught, Tozier stood firm, remaining upright as Southern bullets buzzed and snapped in the air around him. Army. Toziers bravery sparked the 20th Maine and changed the course of the engagement. See p. 1222 (1 photocopied page) for a concise summary of the regiment's service. On Special Duty or Detached Service: Marcellus Blake, Carmel, Second Lieutenant, Joseph Fuller, 2d, Brunswick. Second Lieutenant, Frederic W. Lane, Milo. Moved to Manchester, thence marched to Washington, D.C., May 1-12. The winter was spent near Stevensburg. His Included along with the flag were . I have always been interested in military matters, he informed Maine Governor Israel Washburn, and what I do not know in that line, I know how to learn. First Sergeant, Joseph Walker, Jr., Atkinson. Throughout the morning, Confederate pressure continued to build against the Union line. The Rev. Lore, Charles, Waterville, Marden, Ezra B., Bangor. Melcher was an inspiration to the tiring regiment as he sprang a full 10 paces to the front with his sword glittering in the sunlight. Historic Blakely State Park. Maine. One story is that he screamed: Bayonet! They mustered out July 16, 1865 with the old members mustering out June 4, 1865. By autumn 1862, Chamberlain was appointed lieutenant colonel of the newly created 20th Maine Infantry. Much of the primary information about Little Round Top does come directly from Chamberlain, who published 25 separate writings on the battle. It had been Chamberlains idea to elevate Tozier to the post of color sergeant for the 20th Maine, a move designed to instill a new esprit de corps in the mutineers. His source was the Maine Adjutant General's Annual Reports, Maine at Gettysburg, and Descriptive rolls of the 2nd and 20th ME and personal correspondence and . First Lieutenant, Addison W. Lewis, Waterville, commanding. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first. Colonel Chamberlain returned from sick leave and court martial duty in Washington to resume command of the Regiment. Surgeon N. P. Monroe reported 84 cases of smallpox in the regiment. The many reenactor groups who portray them, and a wealth of information on the american civil war. Fred H. Mann, Sidney, Henry M. Tozer, Waterville. Acting Sergeant-Major, Samuel L. Miller, Waldoboro, company E. Color Sergeant, Andrew J. Tozier, Plymouth, company L. Colonels orderly, Reuel Thomas, Thomaston, Sergeant company I. Quartermaster-Sergeant, Howard L. Prince, Cumberland. Come on boys! The regiment is honored by a . Williard W. Buxton. First Sergeant, Charles W. Steele, Oakfield Plantation. William S. Jordan, Corp. Melville C. Law, Priv. Sanford A. Carpenter, Portland, Oliver French, Solon. Captain, Walter G. Morrill, Williamsburg. The 20th had the highest number of casualties of all Massachusetts regiments and it ranked fifth in casualties of all Union regiments. A special thanks to the 20th Maine reenactors Co.'s B and F who were present. Later, when Sickles infantry did arrive, the controversial general moved his men, without orders, westward toward the Emmitsburg Road. return Recruits transferred to 20th Maine Infantry. wounded Mustered out June 5, 1865. Richard C. Shannon Diary, 5th Maine Regiment. He was given command of the newly formed 20th Maine, a unit comprised of extra men left over from other new regiments. There is a Chamberlain museum in Brunswick, Maine; Chamberlain Pale Ale produced in Portland, Maine; and a Chamberlain Bridge exists in Bangor, Maine yet no commercial product commemorates the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry. return to Research and Current Projects. Three men died of the disease, which was probably due to a botched innoculation. First Sergeant Isaac W. Estes, mortally wounded; died July 14, 1863. Chamberlain claimed there was no hesitation and said that the line quivered for the start. When Chamberlain went to the Governor of Maine to acquire a commission in the Army, the Governor offered him the rank of Colonel. The 34-year-old Chamberlain was one of the most interesting figures in the Civil War. With the new information from Nichols, Chamberlain ordered a right-angle formation, extending his line farther to the east. Captain Charles W. Billings, mortally wounded; died July 15, 1863. But Chamberlain recovered and returned to the army by the end of the year, serving until the end of the war.