little round top

Battle of Gettysburg, July 2, 1863. Ammunition nearly gone, Col. Joshua L. Chamberlain and 20th Maine charge down Little Round Top driving back Confederate forces. The defense of Little Round Top was a pivotal moment in the battle and secured the rest of Union Army’s line. The 83rd Pennsylvania, the 44th New York, and 16th Michigan joined the 20th Maine in the stalwart defense of the hill. Chamberlain, a professor at Bowdoin College and eventual Governor of Maine epitomized the courageous spirit of the volunteers who fought in this battle. Col. William Oates led the 15th Alabama into direct combat with Chamberlain and his forces, even Oates admired the tenacity and courage of his opponent, writing, “There never were harder fighters than the Twentieth Maine men and their gallant Colonel.”