A
Anonymous
Guest
then and now.
The Army of Northern Virginia getting back together again to make that same charge as they did in 1863 at Gettysburg 50 years early'er.
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<img ALT="image" align="middle" src="http://www.findmall.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10159/50th6.jpg"></CENTER>
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They were met by the Army of the Potomac at the high water mark but this time the guns were silent, only hands reached out over the stone wall this time to shake the hand of a old foe.
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<img ALT="image" align="middle" src="http://www.findmall.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10159/Atthewall.jpg"></CENTER>
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75 years after the battle of Gettysburg the few remaining civil war vets met once again to relive 1863 and tell their story, The Army of Northern Virginia is on the left, The Army of the Potomac is on the right.
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<img ALT="image" align="middle" src="http://www.findmall.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10159/75 years.jpg"></CENTER>
<center><table border="0" width="520"><tr><td>
Do you like to read about our history and our leaders, here is a great read about a soft spoken man, Colonel Joshua Chamberlain of the 20th Maine, he was a good man and was down to earth, I would give anything to sit around a camp fire and chat with him, here is his story.
After marching all day and night to reach Gettysburg, the 20th Maine regiment was ordered late in the afternoon of July 2 to occupy critical terrain between two hills, Big and Little Round Top. Chamberlain was ordered to hold this position on the extreme left flank of the Union line at all costs; if outflanked by Confederates, the entire Union position would be in jeopardy. It was not long before the 15th and 47th Alabama Regiments attacked. The 20th Maine held off six attacks by the determined Alabama men, but Colonel Chamberlain knew that his regiment , low on ammunition, could not withstand the seventh. He therefore ordered a flanking counterattack with fixed bayonets, and the 20th charged down the slopes of Little Round Top into the startled Confederates and broke their attack. The 20th Maine took 400 prisoners and stopped the Confederate threat to the Union flank.
Colonel Joshua Chamberlain was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions of July 2, 1863.
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<img ALT="image" align="middle" src="http://www.picvault.info/images/97844_Chamberlain.jpg"></CENTER>
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The 20th Maines left flank, it was peacefull the day I was there, I took these shots.
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<img ALT="image" align="middle" src="http://www.picvault.info/images/97841_Maineleftflank.jpg"></CENTER>
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The 20th Maines center
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<img ALT="image" align="middle" src="http://www.picvault.info/images/97842_Mainemiddle.jpg"></CENTER>
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The 20th Maines right flank
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<img ALT="image" align="middle" src="http://www.picvault.info/images/97843_Mainerightflank.jpg"></CENTER>
<center><table border="0" width="520"><tr><td>
Colonel Joshua Chamberlain kept a Diary, here are his words leading up to July 2nd 1863 on little round top, I really enjoyed his Diary, he was a good man and a great leader of men on the battle field.
June 30,1863
Dear Diary,
Today was an interesting experience. I live in deep thought about my immediate future based upon this day's events. To start with, I was awakened at dawn by Private Killrain with the news of new arrivals to my command. There are 120 "mutineers" currently under my command it would seem. I was informed that these men had enlisted with the second Maine regiment with a group of their friends.
The problem is that the second Maine was disbanded and those members of it that were the first to enlist had only signed up for two years. These 120 men, however, ended up signing three year enlistments. The rest of the regiment went home while these men were detained. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, with the more than frequent changes of command in this army, that there would be mass confusion in this situation. In any event these men were assigned to my command because we are from the same state.
In the midst of receiving these men, orders came from Col. Vincent that the corps was moving out headed towards a town called Gettysburg. I was ordered to send out advanced guards and flankers. This only means one thing:THE ENEMY IS NEAR!
Rumor has it that it is the entire Reb army. Upon reciept of this news I decided That I had better turn these mutineers back into fighting men. I outlined the reasons that we are all here of which there are different ones for different soldiers. After delivering my speech I ordered that those men be fed. We then marched the remainder of the day towards Gettysburg.
I feel that this fight will determine the fate of this nation. I pray that God gives me the presence of mind to succesfully lead my men in the fight we are about to enter. I hope I'm here to write more at this time tomorrow.
Joshua L. Chamberlain
July 1, 1863
Dear Diary,
This war becomes more interesting by the minute. We continued to march towards Gettysburg all the while receiving updates on the action taking place there. First, I learned that of the 120 mutineers that I addressed yesterday, 116 of them decided to join the fight. I only hope that by the time we are thrown into it the other four will come around. I must have made quite an impression upon them. I still feel that we need every man available.
I was informed that two of our corps are heavily engaged in the fight and the casualties are mounting. The most notable of our reported casualties is General John Reynolds who was shot in the head while leading a charge trying to flush a group of Rebs from in front of him. Along with this news came the orders to continue marching on through night until we arrive on the battlefield. The situation sounds desperate at best. With these new found additions to my regiment I pray that we can fulfill our mission when we get there. More Later.
July 2, 1863
Dear Diary,
I am extremely thankful to God Almighty for my life and the ability to write this evening. It has been a very hectic, bloody, and an extremely DEADLY day. Of the 200 men I began the day with, less than half remain. This was a horrible price to pay but the army and quite possibly the country itself were saved this evening. The fact that we still hold this position is, in itself, a gift from God.
As the day began, we were marching up the Taneytown road towards Gettysburg. As we approached, the sounds of the fight were becoming louder and clearer. At approximately 1300, we were instructed to take up a reserve position about 200 yards southeast of this huge ridge of hills. The men took this opportunity to rest up, perform some hygiene, and contemplate what was waiting for us on the other side of those hills. The rumors were almost correct. It was not the entire Reb army, only the lead and mid elements of it.
Private Killrain and I sat under a tree and began to talk. We began to discuss the situation of the Freedmen. I explained to him that I had never really considered them to be any different from any white man. As my mother put it, they had the "divine spark". This, to me, meant that they were the same in faculty and function as any man. That, after all, is the main reason that I am here. I believe that this nation cannot exist with two such differed ideologies.
"Buster", as I call him, responded by telling me that he didn't care one way or the other about the freedmen. He related his experiences from Ireland, his home country, where he had seen men killed for no logical reason. He said that he came to this country because here you are judged on your own actions, not those of your past family. He feels that the south has an aristocratic society much like the old country. To him this concept seemed completely wrong. He said, "Shoot! What I'm fighting for is the right to prove that I'm a better man than some of those. That is why we MUST win this war !!"
From this point forward I must relate what occured as best I can because everything seemed so time-compressed.
As Buster was talking to me at this point, Col. Vincent rushed up and ordered me to gather my men and prepare to double quick. We were going to a position on the small round hill in front of us. This took place at about 1700. The Rebs were storming across the field headed for this hill. We arrived at our position and Col. Vincent pointed out the fact that there were several units to our right but none to the left. He informed me that we were the end of the union line. He said, "You cannot withdraw. You cannot surrender. If this position is taken, the enemy will sweep over the top of this hill and take this entire army from the rear. You will have to be stubborn today. You must defend this position to the last." I surveyed the position and was thinking "defend to the last. The last what? The last man? The last round of ammunition?"
At this point I remembered an important lesson I had learned from the Rebs at Fredericksburg. I ordered the men to stack the rocks up in front as high as they could. Those who could not seek cover behind the rocks needed to find a good thick tree to get behind. They were digging trenches and constructing a breastworks as fast as they could because we could hear the fight moving towards us. I summoned the officers to explain the situation. I then dispatched Capt. Morrill and B Company out to the far left to take up sniper positions.
At around 1645 the 16th Michigan and 44th New York became engaged. The Rebs were trying to storm straight up the front of the hill. I knew it would only be a matter of time before the Rebs regrouped and tried to swing around the left. The downside of this situation is that WE were the left.
The fight erupted with the 83rd Pennsylvania, to our immediate right, at 1745. The air began to fill with a suffocating cloud of smoke. At 1800 Buster spotted what appeared to be an entire Reb division coming straight at us. I told the men to remain calm and to continue loading and firing as fast as possible. As they charged we continued to fire from behind the rocks and trees and we exacted a heavy toll upon the enemy. We were getting extremely shot up in the process. There were bodies everywhere. The blood gathered in huge puddles on the rocks and ground. I have never seen anything like it. We thought we had repelled them but after a break long enough to receive casualty reports they came at us again. Fortunately, at this point, they were coming straight at us. My left flank, which was fully exposed, remained intact. We repelled this charge with furious determination. At this time my scouts reported that the Rebs were beginning to move around to the left.
I formulated a plan, thank you Jesus, and summoned my officers to relay it to the units. I ordered the men to thin out to twice their length, and at the point I marked, to refuse the line. The line was pulled back to form right angles so the enemy approaching from the left would hit another front instead of the flank. My casualties were heavy and we had to execute this maneuver in the face of heavy enemy fire. We were also beginning to run dangerously low on ammunition.
The Rebs came again and we repelled them again. There were hundreds of men dead and dying on the slope. The fight raged on like this for what seemed like an eternity. As my men ran out of ammunition the fighting became hand to hand. We continued to hold as best as we could.
We could not get resupplied or reinforced because the Rebs were wreaking havoc upon the entire line. Upon trying to summon reinforcements, I learned that Col. Vincent had been shot dead about 30 minutes into the fight. We were beat up and out of ammunition yet the Rebs were coming at us again. I knew with our present situation that we could not withstand another attack, yet we could not withdraw. I summoned the officers and ordered them to have their men fix bayonettes.
As the Rebs came up the hill, we charged starting with the left flank that had been pulled back. We swung like a door and swept the Rebs down the hill. Most of them looked absolutely terrified. I came upon a Reb officer who leveled his pistol at my head and pulled the trigger. I closed my eyes as I heard the click of the hammer falling on an empty chamber. I then put my sword to his throat and demanded his weapon which he readily gave up. He then asked me for a drink of water which I saw that he received. As the Rebs continued to run down the hill, Capt. Morrill's men rose up from behind their stone wall and fired into their rear. This formed a slaughter pit at the foot of the hill.
After the fight was over a messenger came and told me that I needed to brief General Meade on the action. He asked to shake my hand saying "That is the most amazing thing I have ever seen." He then offered a drink from his flask which I gladly took. I proceeded to drain the flask.
I then briefed the general and went back to my men. I was deeply saddened to find out that during the fight Buster had been seriously wounded. According to the adjutant it appears to be mortal. A horrible price to pay. I am grateful that the army survived. This was without a doubt the most brutal confrontation I have ever seen. When I asked the name of the hill, I was told that it was called Little Round Top. I believe that "Little Round Top" will be a testament to right triumphing over wrong despite overwhelming odds.
Joshua L. Chamberlain -----------------------
<embed SRC="http://soundamerica.com/sounds/themes/Television/C-E/civilwar.wav" autostart=true loop=true width=48 height=0 volume=127
The Army of Northern Virginia getting back together again to make that same charge as they did in 1863 at Gettysburg 50 years early'er.
</td></tr></table></center>
<CENTER>
<img ALT="image" align="middle" src="http://www.findmall.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10159/50th6.jpg"></CENTER>
<center><table border="0" width="520"><tr><td>
They were met by the Army of the Potomac at the high water mark but this time the guns were silent, only hands reached out over the stone wall this time to shake the hand of a old foe.
</td></tr></table></center>
<CENTER>
<img ALT="image" align="middle" src="http://www.findmall.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10159/Atthewall.jpg"></CENTER>
<center><table border="0" width="520"><tr><td>
75 years after the battle of Gettysburg the few remaining civil war vets met once again to relive 1863 and tell their story, The Army of Northern Virginia is on the left, The Army of the Potomac is on the right.
</td></tr></table></center>
<CENTER>
<img ALT="image" align="middle" src="http://www.findmall.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10159/75 years.jpg"></CENTER>
<center><table border="0" width="520"><tr><td>
Do you like to read about our history and our leaders, here is a great read about a soft spoken man, Colonel Joshua Chamberlain of the 20th Maine, he was a good man and was down to earth, I would give anything to sit around a camp fire and chat with him, here is his story.
After marching all day and night to reach Gettysburg, the 20th Maine regiment was ordered late in the afternoon of July 2 to occupy critical terrain between two hills, Big and Little Round Top. Chamberlain was ordered to hold this position on the extreme left flank of the Union line at all costs; if outflanked by Confederates, the entire Union position would be in jeopardy. It was not long before the 15th and 47th Alabama Regiments attacked. The 20th Maine held off six attacks by the determined Alabama men, but Colonel Chamberlain knew that his regiment , low on ammunition, could not withstand the seventh. He therefore ordered a flanking counterattack with fixed bayonets, and the 20th charged down the slopes of Little Round Top into the startled Confederates and broke their attack. The 20th Maine took 400 prisoners and stopped the Confederate threat to the Union flank.
Colonel Joshua Chamberlain was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions of July 2, 1863.
</td></tr></table></center>
<CENTER>
<img ALT="image" align="middle" src="http://www.picvault.info/images/97844_Chamberlain.jpg"></CENTER>
<center><table border="0" width="520"><tr><td>
The 20th Maines left flank, it was peacefull the day I was there, I took these shots.
</td></tr></table></center>
<CENTER>
<img ALT="image" align="middle" src="http://www.picvault.info/images/97841_Maineleftflank.jpg"></CENTER>
<center><table border="0" width="520"><tr><td>
The 20th Maines center
</td></tr></table></center>
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<img ALT="image" align="middle" src="http://www.picvault.info/images/97842_Mainemiddle.jpg"></CENTER>
<center><table border="0" width="520"><tr><td>
The 20th Maines right flank
</td></tr></table></center>
<CENTER>
<img ALT="image" align="middle" src="http://www.picvault.info/images/97843_Mainerightflank.jpg"></CENTER>
<center><table border="0" width="520"><tr><td>
Colonel Joshua Chamberlain kept a Diary, here are his words leading up to July 2nd 1863 on little round top, I really enjoyed his Diary, he was a good man and a great leader of men on the battle field.
June 30,1863
Dear Diary,
Today was an interesting experience. I live in deep thought about my immediate future based upon this day's events. To start with, I was awakened at dawn by Private Killrain with the news of new arrivals to my command. There are 120 "mutineers" currently under my command it would seem. I was informed that these men had enlisted with the second Maine regiment with a group of their friends.
The problem is that the second Maine was disbanded and those members of it that were the first to enlist had only signed up for two years. These 120 men, however, ended up signing three year enlistments. The rest of the regiment went home while these men were detained. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, with the more than frequent changes of command in this army, that there would be mass confusion in this situation. In any event these men were assigned to my command because we are from the same state.
In the midst of receiving these men, orders came from Col. Vincent that the corps was moving out headed towards a town called Gettysburg. I was ordered to send out advanced guards and flankers. This only means one thing:THE ENEMY IS NEAR!
Rumor has it that it is the entire Reb army. Upon reciept of this news I decided That I had better turn these mutineers back into fighting men. I outlined the reasons that we are all here of which there are different ones for different soldiers. After delivering my speech I ordered that those men be fed. We then marched the remainder of the day towards Gettysburg.
I feel that this fight will determine the fate of this nation. I pray that God gives me the presence of mind to succesfully lead my men in the fight we are about to enter. I hope I'm here to write more at this time tomorrow.
Joshua L. Chamberlain
July 1, 1863
Dear Diary,
This war becomes more interesting by the minute. We continued to march towards Gettysburg all the while receiving updates on the action taking place there. First, I learned that of the 120 mutineers that I addressed yesterday, 116 of them decided to join the fight. I only hope that by the time we are thrown into it the other four will come around. I must have made quite an impression upon them. I still feel that we need every man available.
I was informed that two of our corps are heavily engaged in the fight and the casualties are mounting. The most notable of our reported casualties is General John Reynolds who was shot in the head while leading a charge trying to flush a group of Rebs from in front of him. Along with this news came the orders to continue marching on through night until we arrive on the battlefield. The situation sounds desperate at best. With these new found additions to my regiment I pray that we can fulfill our mission when we get there. More Later.
July 2, 1863
Dear Diary,
I am extremely thankful to God Almighty for my life and the ability to write this evening. It has been a very hectic, bloody, and an extremely DEADLY day. Of the 200 men I began the day with, less than half remain. This was a horrible price to pay but the army and quite possibly the country itself were saved this evening. The fact that we still hold this position is, in itself, a gift from God.
As the day began, we were marching up the Taneytown road towards Gettysburg. As we approached, the sounds of the fight were becoming louder and clearer. At approximately 1300, we were instructed to take up a reserve position about 200 yards southeast of this huge ridge of hills. The men took this opportunity to rest up, perform some hygiene, and contemplate what was waiting for us on the other side of those hills. The rumors were almost correct. It was not the entire Reb army, only the lead and mid elements of it.
Private Killrain and I sat under a tree and began to talk. We began to discuss the situation of the Freedmen. I explained to him that I had never really considered them to be any different from any white man. As my mother put it, they had the "divine spark". This, to me, meant that they were the same in faculty and function as any man. That, after all, is the main reason that I am here. I believe that this nation cannot exist with two such differed ideologies.
"Buster", as I call him, responded by telling me that he didn't care one way or the other about the freedmen. He related his experiences from Ireland, his home country, where he had seen men killed for no logical reason. He said that he came to this country because here you are judged on your own actions, not those of your past family. He feels that the south has an aristocratic society much like the old country. To him this concept seemed completely wrong. He said, "Shoot! What I'm fighting for is the right to prove that I'm a better man than some of those. That is why we MUST win this war !!"
From this point forward I must relate what occured as best I can because everything seemed so time-compressed.
As Buster was talking to me at this point, Col. Vincent rushed up and ordered me to gather my men and prepare to double quick. We were going to a position on the small round hill in front of us. This took place at about 1700. The Rebs were storming across the field headed for this hill. We arrived at our position and Col. Vincent pointed out the fact that there were several units to our right but none to the left. He informed me that we were the end of the union line. He said, "You cannot withdraw. You cannot surrender. If this position is taken, the enemy will sweep over the top of this hill and take this entire army from the rear. You will have to be stubborn today. You must defend this position to the last." I surveyed the position and was thinking "defend to the last. The last what? The last man? The last round of ammunition?"
At this point I remembered an important lesson I had learned from the Rebs at Fredericksburg. I ordered the men to stack the rocks up in front as high as they could. Those who could not seek cover behind the rocks needed to find a good thick tree to get behind. They were digging trenches and constructing a breastworks as fast as they could because we could hear the fight moving towards us. I summoned the officers to explain the situation. I then dispatched Capt. Morrill and B Company out to the far left to take up sniper positions.
At around 1645 the 16th Michigan and 44th New York became engaged. The Rebs were trying to storm straight up the front of the hill. I knew it would only be a matter of time before the Rebs regrouped and tried to swing around the left. The downside of this situation is that WE were the left.
The fight erupted with the 83rd Pennsylvania, to our immediate right, at 1745. The air began to fill with a suffocating cloud of smoke. At 1800 Buster spotted what appeared to be an entire Reb division coming straight at us. I told the men to remain calm and to continue loading and firing as fast as possible. As they charged we continued to fire from behind the rocks and trees and we exacted a heavy toll upon the enemy. We were getting extremely shot up in the process. There were bodies everywhere. The blood gathered in huge puddles on the rocks and ground. I have never seen anything like it. We thought we had repelled them but after a break long enough to receive casualty reports they came at us again. Fortunately, at this point, they were coming straight at us. My left flank, which was fully exposed, remained intact. We repelled this charge with furious determination. At this time my scouts reported that the Rebs were beginning to move around to the left.
I formulated a plan, thank you Jesus, and summoned my officers to relay it to the units. I ordered the men to thin out to twice their length, and at the point I marked, to refuse the line. The line was pulled back to form right angles so the enemy approaching from the left would hit another front instead of the flank. My casualties were heavy and we had to execute this maneuver in the face of heavy enemy fire. We were also beginning to run dangerously low on ammunition.
The Rebs came again and we repelled them again. There were hundreds of men dead and dying on the slope. The fight raged on like this for what seemed like an eternity. As my men ran out of ammunition the fighting became hand to hand. We continued to hold as best as we could.
We could not get resupplied or reinforced because the Rebs were wreaking havoc upon the entire line. Upon trying to summon reinforcements, I learned that Col. Vincent had been shot dead about 30 minutes into the fight. We were beat up and out of ammunition yet the Rebs were coming at us again. I knew with our present situation that we could not withstand another attack, yet we could not withdraw. I summoned the officers and ordered them to have their men fix bayonettes.
As the Rebs came up the hill, we charged starting with the left flank that had been pulled back. We swung like a door and swept the Rebs down the hill. Most of them looked absolutely terrified. I came upon a Reb officer who leveled his pistol at my head and pulled the trigger. I closed my eyes as I heard the click of the hammer falling on an empty chamber. I then put my sword to his throat and demanded his weapon which he readily gave up. He then asked me for a drink of water which I saw that he received. As the Rebs continued to run down the hill, Capt. Morrill's men rose up from behind their stone wall and fired into their rear. This formed a slaughter pit at the foot of the hill.
After the fight was over a messenger came and told me that I needed to brief General Meade on the action. He asked to shake my hand saying "That is the most amazing thing I have ever seen." He then offered a drink from his flask which I gladly took. I proceeded to drain the flask.
I then briefed the general and went back to my men. I was deeply saddened to find out that during the fight Buster had been seriously wounded. According to the adjutant it appears to be mortal. A horrible price to pay. I am grateful that the army survived. This was without a doubt the most brutal confrontation I have ever seen. When I asked the name of the hill, I was told that it was called Little Round Top. I believe that "Little Round Top" will be a testament to right triumphing over wrong despite overwhelming odds.
Joshua L. Chamberlain -----------------------
<embed SRC="http://soundamerica.com/sounds/themes/Television/C-E/civilwar.wav" autostart=true loop=true width=48 height=0 volume=127
">