\nThe Maine State Archives, recently opened in the new Cultural Building at Augusta, is a department of state government that is already proving its worth. As many thousands of cubic feet of records are cleared, sorted, filed, catalogued and shelved, according to the most modern archival procedures, finds, long forgotten, turn up.<\/p>\n
Recently, when the Archives secured a large collection from the Adjutant Generals’ storage, one old manuscript alone made it worth while. Stored away and long forgotten, among other records of the Civil War, was a handwritten report of the action of the Twentieth Maine at Gettysburg presented to the Adjutant General of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Corps of the Army of the Potomac, by the Twentieth Maine Commanding Officer, Joshua Chamberlain. This is an extremely valuable historical record, because it is a contemporary account, written only two days after the end of the Battle of Gettysburg July 6, 1863.<\/p>\n
Much has been written about the gallant fighting by Maine men of that regiment on the historic field of Gettysburg. Chamberlain himself wrote more about it later and only a few years ago, Colby graduate John Pullen wrote a full account of that famous regiment in a book bearing the subtle title, The Twentieth Maine. But when Pullen wrote his book, he did not know of the existence of the Chamberlain report, written right on the scene almost before the smoke of battle had been cleared away. So let us now, for the first time put on the air waves of radio what Joshua Chamberlain himself wrote right at that famous battle scene.<\/p>\n
The report is headed, “Headquarters 20th Maine Volunteers, Field near Gettyspurg. Pa., July 6, 1863.” The document begins:<\/p>\n
“In compliance with orders from Brigade Headquarters, I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by the 20th Regiment Maine Volunteers in the action of July 2 and 3 near Gettysburg, Pa. Col. Vincent, commanding the Brigade, placing us on the left of the brigade and consequently on the extreme left of line of battle, instructed me that the enemy were expected shortly to move, a desperate attempt to turn our left flank, and that the position assigned us must be held at every hazard.”<\/p>\n
Chamberlain goes on to state that he established the regimental line on the crest of a rocky, wooded hill. That was the site that gained fame under the title of Little Round Top, and is the place on the battlefield where the monument to the 20th Maine now stands. Chamberlain says his first act was to send out a company of skirmishers to guard the exposed left wing against surprise. He had scarcely established the 20th’s battle position when the Confederate attack began. He said, “From a high road which gave one a full view of the enemy, I perceived a heavy force in the rear of their principal line, moving rapidly but stealthily towards our left, with the apparent intention of getting behind us unperceived. Without betraying our peril to any but one or two officers, I had our right wing move past our left flank, taking intervals of two paces, according to the shelter afforded by rocks or trees, extending so as to cover the whole front then engaged. At the same time I moved the left wing farther to the left and rear, making a large angle, the point of which lay where our left had first rested. This hazardous maneuver was so admirably executed by my men that our fire in front was not materially slackened while the move was being made, and the enemy gained no advantage. Meanwhile our left wing had formed a solid and steady line directly in front of the expected assault.”<\/p>\n
Chamberlain goes on to explain that his maneuver had been made not a moment too soon. He says, “Likewise the enemy
\nrushed forward with an impetuosity which showed their sanguine expectations. Their astonishment, however, was evident when, emerging from their cover, they met, instead of an unsuspecting flank, a firm and ready front.”<\/p>\n
Chamberlain recorded that the enemy advanced to within ten paces of his regiment’s drawn-up line. That was so close them, in the handwritten report, the words “ten paces” are underlined. Now let us see how he describes the subsequent action in his own words.<\/p>\n
“From that moment began a struggle fierce and bloody beyond any that I have witnessed. In all its fury, it lasted a full hour. The two lines met and broke, and mingled in the shock. At times I saw around me more of the enemy than of my own men. The edge of conflict swayed to and fro, now one, now the other party holding the contested ground. Three times our line was forced back, but only to rally and repulse the enemy. As often as the enemy’s line was broken and routed, they unmasked a new line, which advanced with fresh vigor. Our 60 rounes were rapidly reduced, and I sent messengers to the rear for more ammunition, also urging reinforcements. Meanwhile, in a momentary lull, we gathered ammunition and more serviceable arms from the dead and dying on the field, friend and foe alike. With these weapons, we met the enemy’s last and fiercest assault. We thus turned their own rifles and and their own bullets against them. Then our ammunition utterly failed. The enemy were now close upon us with a fresh line pouring on us a terrible fire. Half of our left wing already lay dead or wounded on the field. Although I had brought two companies to its support, that wing was now scarcely more than a skirmish line. The heroic energy of my officers could avail no more. Our gallant line withered and shrank before the force it could not repel. It was too evident that we could maintain the defensive no longer!”<\/p>\n
If Chamberlain’s report had stopped there, it would have been a record of defeat, despite gallant action, by the 20th Maine. But Chamberlain still had more to say, and that more shows how he changed defeat to victory. He says: “Defense being out of the question, I determined on attack. So I ordered a charge. The word “fix bayonets” flew from man to man. The click of the steel seemed to give new zeal to all. The men dashed forward with shouts. The two wings again came into one line. Wheeling to the right, the whole regiment described nearly a half circle. The left passed over the space of half a mile, while the right kept within the support of’ the 83rd Pennsylvania. The enemy had no escape except to climb the steep side of the mountain or to pass the whole front of the 83rd Penn. The enemy’s first line scarcely tried to run. They stood amazed, threw down their arms and surrendered in whole companies. My skirmishing company threw itself upon the enemy’s flank behind a stone wall, and its effective force added to the enemy’s confusion. In this charge we captured 368 prisoners, many of them officers, and we took 300 stores of arms. From the prisoners we learned that the attack on our line had been by a whole brigade.”<\/p>\n
Chamberlain then says that just as the successful charge ended, supporting troops and much needed ammunition arrived. At once, Chamberlain received new orders from superior command. He was ordered to advance and take Big Round Top, where the enemy had assembled after their repulse. Because of its heights, the position gave the Confederates full view of the 20th further action and presented a grave danger until the Rebels could be driven from that prominence.<\/p>\n
Chamberlain wrote: “It was then dark and the men were worn out, heated and thirsty almost beyond endurance. Some, completely exhausted, had dropped down and fallen asleep the instant the halt had been ordered. At the new command they cheerfully formed their line again. The little handful of men went up that hill, scarcely expecting ever to return. In order not to disclose our meager numbers, and to avoid an engagement in which we were sure to be overpowered, I forbade my men to fire, but trust to the bayonet alone. Without firing a shot, we pushed straight up the hill. The darkness favored us, and the enemy’s volleys went over our heads. At the crest, we were briefly repulsed and had to fall back, but we charged again and carried the top. We took 25 prisoners in this movement, among them some of the staff of General Laws.”<\/p>\n
Chamberlain learned that Gen. Hood’s entire division was massed directly in front of Round Top, and that Hood was waiting only to ascertain the number and position of Union forces before launching a massive attack. But it was now so dark that both sides, except for occasional warning volleys, awaited the daylight. The next day the 20th Maine was relieved by units from the First Brigade.<\/p>\n
Chamberlain says that, during the engagements he described, the 20th’s action was entirely against Law’s Brigade of Hood’ s Division of the Confederate Army. The 20th’s prisoners came from two Alabama and two Texas regiments. As for his losses, Chamberlain wrote; “We went into the fight with 358 men. Every engineer and musician who could carry a musket joined the regular infantry. Our loss is 30 killed; 105 wounded, many mortally, and one taken prisoner. Our victory was dearly bought with the loss of these admirable officers and men.”<\/p>\n
It is indeed a precious document, that contemporary report from the battlefield of Gettysburg. But it is only one item among the valuable papers that Archivist Samuel Sibley and his staff are patiently pulling out of dead storage, and are preserving under the most careful security for all time. In a few years, the official records of all departments of Maine government will be available in the State Archives – quite a different situation from their inaccessible and almost forgotten storage in abandoned buildings and in nooks and crannies allover Augusta.<\/p>\n
Year: 1972<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Read the script for “Little Talks” program #919, Broadcast on February 6, 1972<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":405,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42945,35296],"tags":[],"builder_content":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9224"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/405"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9224"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9224\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}