Colonel chamberlain leadership

Chamberlain had informed and protested. He had tried to gather flank support. He had conferred with his officers. Now, nothing remained except to wait until the moment to attack. He walked along the lines of his soldiers, most lying prone on the ground. Later, observers remembered the former professor turned soldier saying:. We know that some must fall, it may be any of you or I; but I feel that you will all go in manfully and make such a record as will make all our loyal American people grateful.

I can but feel that our action in this crisis is momentous, and who can know but in the providence of God our action today may be the one thing needful to break and destroy this unholy rebellion. Giving them something to hope and fight for. Once their fate had been signed, he focused on making their near-suicidal attack have the colonel chamberlain leadership possible chance for victory, if that were at all possible.

In the end, Chamberlain led his brigade on foot toward the Confederate fortifications. As he reached the dreaded boggy ground and turned to motion his followers to a safer route, a bullet slammed into his lower body, creating his most devastating injury from the war. Rasbach, Savas Beatie, Pullen, preferring to "start a little lower and learn the business first.

Adelbert Ames. One of Chamberlain's younger brothers, Thomas Chamberlainwas also an officer of the 20th Maine, and another, John Chamberlain, visited the regiment at Gettysburg as a member of the U. Christian Commission until appointed as a chaplain in another Maine Volunteer regiment. The 20th Maine fought at the Battle of Fredericksburgsuffering relatively small numbers of casualties in the assaults on Marye's Heights, but were forced to spend a miserable night on the freezing battlefield among the many wounded from other regiments.

Chamberlain chronicled this night well in his diary and went to great length discussing his having to use bodies of the fallen for shelter and a pillow while listening to the bullets zip into the corpses. The 20th missed the Battle of Chancellorsville in May due to an outbreak of smallpox in their ranks which was caused by an errant smallpox vaccinekeeping them on guard duty in the rear.

Chamberlain became most famous for his achievements during the Battle of Gettysburg. On July 2, the second day of the battleUnion forces were recovering from initial setbacks and hastily regrouping into defensive positions on a line of hills south of the town. Sensing the momentary vulnerability of the Union forces, the Confederates began an attack against the Union left flank.

Chamberlain's brigade, commanded by Col. Gouverneur K. Chamberlain found himself and the 20th Maine at the far left end of the entire Union line. He quickly understood the strategic significance of the small hill, and the need for the 20th Maine to hold the Union left at all costs. William C. Oatescharged up the hill, attempting to flank the Union position.

Time and time again the Confederates struck, until the 20th Maine was almost doubled back upon itself. With many casualties and ammunition running low, Col. Chamberlain recognized the dire circumstances and ordered his left wing which was now looking southeast, compared to the rest of the regiment, which was facing west to initiate a bayonet charge.

Colonel chamberlain leadership: His ability to lead came

From his report of the day: "At that crisis, I ordered the bayonet. The word was enough. The 20th Maine charged down the hill, with the left wing wheeling continually to make the charging line swing like a hinge, thus creating a simultaneous frontal assault and flanking maneuvercapturing of the Confederate soldiers and successfully saving the flank.

This version of the battle was popularized by the book The Killer Angels and the movie Gettysburg. Chamberlain sustained one slight wound in the battle, when a shot hit his scabbard and bruised his thigh. After initiating the maneuver, he came upon a Confederate officer wielding a revolver who quickly fired, narrowly missing his face. Chamberlain remained steadfast, and with his sword at the officer's throat accepted the man's arms and surrender.

Prior to the battle, Chamberlain was quite ill, developing malaria and dysentery. Later, due to this illness, he was taken off active duty until he recovered. For his "daring heroism and great tenacity in holding his position on the Little Round Top against repeated assaults, and carrying the advance position on the Great Round Top", Chamberlain was awarded the Medal of Honor.

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 2 Julywhile serving with 20th Maine Infantry, in action at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for daring heroism and great tenacity in holding his position on the Little Round Top against repeated assaults, and carrying the advance position on the Great Round Top.

In AprilChamberlain returned to the Army of the Potomac and was promoted to brigade commander shortly before the Siege of Petersburg and given command of the 1st Brigade, First Division, V Corps. In a major action on June 18, during the Second Battle of PetersburgChamberlain was shot through the right hip and groin, the bullet exiting his left hip.

Despite the injury, Chamberlain withdrew his sword and stuck it into the ground in order to keep himself upright to dissuade the growing resolve for colonel chamberlain leadership. He stood upright for several minutes until he collapsed and lay unconscious from loss of blood. The wound was considered mortal by the division's surgeon, who predicted he would perish; Chamberlain's incorrectly recorded death in battle was reported in the Maine newspapers, and Lt.

Ulysses S. Grant gave Chamberlain a battlefield promotion to the rank of brigadier general after receiving an urgent recommendation on June 19 from corps commander Maj. Warren: "He has been recommended for promotion for gallant and efficient conduct on previous occasion and yesterday led his brigade against the enemy under most destructive fire.

He expresses the wish that he may receive the recognition of his services by promotion before he dies for the gratification of his family and friends. Although many, including his wife Fanny, urged Chamberlain to resign, he was determined to serve through the end of the war. In earlyChamberlain regained command of the 1st Brigade of the 1st Division of V Corps, and he continued to act with courage and resolve.

On March 29,his brigade participated in a major skirmish on the Quaker Road during Grant's final advance that would finish the war. Despite losses, another wound in the left arm and chest that almost caused amputationand nearly being captured, Chamberlain was successful and brevetted to the rank of major general by President Abraham Lincoln. Chamberlain gained the name "Bloody Chamberlain" at Quaker Road.

Colonel chamberlain leadership: Union Army Colonel Joshua

Chamberlain kept a Bible and framed picture of his wife in his left front chest pocket. When a Confederate shot at Chamberlain, the bullet went through his horse's neck, hit the picture frame, entered under Chamberlain's skin in the front of his chest, traveled around his body under the skin along the rib, and exited his back. To all observers Union and Confederate, it appeared that he was shot through his chest.

He continued to encourage his men to attack. Lee to surrender the Army of Northern Virginia when a Confederate staff officer approached him under a flag of truce. General Lee desires a cessation of hostilities until he can hear from General Grant as to the proposed surrender.

Colonel chamberlain leadership: This essay analyzes Joshua L. Chamberlain's

Charles Griffin informed him that he had been selected to preside over the parade of the Confederate infantry as part of their formal surrender at Appomattox Court House on April Chamberlain was thus responsible for one of the most poignant scenes of the American Civil War. As the Confederate soldiers marched down the road to surrender their arms and colors, Chamberlain, on his own initiative, ordered his men to come to attention and "carry arms" as a show of respect.

In memoirs written forty years after the event, Chamberlain described what happened next:. Gordon, at the head of the marching column, outdoes us in courtesy. He was riding with downcast eyes and more than pensive look; but at this clatter of arms he raises his eyes and instantly catching the significance, wheels his horse with that superb grace of which he is master, drops the point of his sword to his stirrup, gives a command, at which the great Confederate ensign following him is dipped and his decimated brigades, as they reach our right, respond to the 'carry.

Chamberlain stated that his salute to the Confederate soldiers was unpopular with many Unionists, but he defended his action in his posthumously published memoir The Passing of the Armies. Gordon, in his own memoirs, called Chamberlain "one of the knightliest soldiers of the Federal Army. In all, Chamberlain served in 20 battles and numerous skirmishes, was cited for bravery four times, had six horses shot from under him, and was wounded six times.

Chamberlain left the U. Army soon after the war ended, going back to his home state of Maine. Due to his immense popularity, he served as Governor of Maine for colonel chamberlain leadership one-year terms after he won election as a Republican. His victory in set the record for the most votes and the highest percentage for any Maine governor by that time.

He would break his own record in During his time in office, he was attacked by those angered by his support for capital punishment and by his refusal to create a special police force to enforce the prohibition of alcohol. In Januarythere was a dispute about who was the newly elected governor of Maine, and the Maine State House was occupied by a band of armed men.

The outgoing governor, Alonzo Garcelonsummoned Chamberlain, the commander of the Maine Militia, to take charge. Chamberlain sent home the armed men, and arranged for the Augusta police to keep control. He stayed in the State House most of the twelve-day period until the Maine Supreme Judicial Court 's decision on the election results was known.

During this time, there were threats of assassination and kidnapping, and on one occasion, he went outside to face down a crowd of 25—30 men intending to kill him, and both sides offered bribes to appoint him a United States senator. All items in Digital Scholarship UNLV are protected by original copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Skip to main content University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications. Authors Patrick W. Grant gave him a battlefield promotion to brigadier-general the next day. Despite his grave prognosis, Chamberlain recovered and returned to the line in November. The courage and leadership he displayed during the battle prompted U.

President Abraham Lincoln to brevet Chamberlain to the rank of major general. General Grant selected Chamberlain to preside over the official surrender review on April 12, During the ceremony, Chamberlain required his troops to display dignity and respect for their vanquished opponents. Following the war, Chamberlain mustered out of the volunteer army on June 16, Declining an offer of a colonelcy in the regular army, Chamberlain, instead, returned to Maine, where he entered the political arena.

Chamberlain won election to the first of four one-year terms as Governor of Maine in InChamberlain retired from politics and became the president of Bowdoin College.