Little Round Top Battle

The three day battle was action packed from start to finish. It all started at about 5:30 am, with a single shot fired over Marsh Creek. After a single shot, all hell broke loose. The Union suffered important losses, most notably the loss of General Reynolds. General Lee arrived on the battlefield near noon, after receiving word of the battle. A single Confederate division drove back two Union brigades, who retreated to Cemetery Hill. General Lee decided to attack the Union soldiers at Cemetery Hill to prohibit reinforcements. General Ewell declined the option to attack, and the first day of battle came to an end. Meanwhile, the Union gathered reinforcements as General Lee feared.

It was well believed until Jackson’s forces began unloading rounds on the Union army stopping McDowell’s forces from advancing, holding the line like “a stone wall.” As the new Union recruits witnessed battle for the first time and felt the lack of preparation, they were quick to retreat back to Washington DC. The Southern victory and the tens of thousands of lives lost proved to the Union that this war was not going to be easily won.

Upon arriving to Malvern Hill, the Confederates had a lack of information, affecting their understanding of the contour of the land. This greatly affected their use of artillery movement and emplacement, causing the Confederate artillery to be ineffective. This was caused by the swamps, not allowing the caissons to maneuver through (Hill M. , 2012). Because of this obstacle, the Confederate had to push their reserve artillery pieces down Willis Church Road, causing them to be exposed to the open field, which they were then bombarded by Union artillery fire (Krick, 2014). The Union had the advantage over the

The Battle of Gettysburg was one of the most important battles in the course of the Civil War, ending a Southern offensive movement that had begun after their victory at Chancellorsville. At Gettysburg, Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and his regiment, the 20th of Maine, played a vital role in the defense of Little Round Top preventing the Confederate Army from flanking the Union Army. Chamberlain, who left his job as a professor at Bowdoin College to join the war, became a hero after successfully defending Little Round Top against overwhelming Confederate numbers. Hero Chamberlain was, but after the war, many other veterans that served with Chamberlain and against him began to voice their doubts about the truthfulness of his recollection

Chamberlain a compassionate man, but he was a leader whom enjoyed teaching. During the war effort, Col. Chamberlain removed himself from his position as a Professor of Rhetoric at Bowdoin College, his alma mater. Although he was out of the academic field, he carried over many traits and characteristics that made him an excellent professor. This is what also made him a well-respected officer. As Shaara describes Col. Chamberlain to the reader on page 19, he consistently utilizes words such as “boyish” and “naïve.” Typically these words are not used to describe a person whom has graduated college and is currently a college professor. Col. Chamberlain’s background as a college professor made him one of the leaders whom every other leader overlooked or didn’t expect great things to come from. This was because he was a civilian-soldier. He was not a man that was produced for the military, however, he brought assets to the table that no other officer could. Col. Chamberlain’s analytical nature and problem solving ability was the most effective tool that the Union army had during the Civil War. Col. Chamberlain had a gift to be able to break apart the Confederate strategy and repel each attack that was thrown his way. For example, at the Battle of Little Round Top Col. Chamberlain out strategized the Confederate Army by creating a four man front of a regiment to provide reinforcements for the soldiers already battling. Col. Chamberlain and the 20th Maine Regiment was used to fulfill the necessary left flank for the Union Army. From the illustration on page 211 of The Killer Angels, the reader can see the heavy resistance that the Union Army is facing in the depths of the Devil’s Den and Little Round Top. The men of the 20th Maine started piling rocks to create a stone barrier to protect a flank that was over one hundred (100) yards long. As the battle raged on, Col. Chamberlain saw his men falling left and right and knew that changes had to be made as he

The confederate army under the control of General Lee, was set up in various positions around the crest of the hill, to be able to drop a converging fires on the union batteries (Krick, 2014). The cross fire of the confederate batteries had failed of plan a course of attack. The confederate continued to fire at the union army. The orders issued by the confederate were misunderstood and bungled. The union under control of General Porter had set the main tempo of defense of the battle (Krick, 2014). The union only had room for approximately 30 to 35 cannons on the slender crest of the hill. With the union set up on the slender crest this left the confederates no cover when approaching the exposed hill. Every time the confederate’s infantry approached they were stopped and stalled off in front of the union’s wall of cannon defense (Krick, 2014). When the confederates would retreat after confronting the unions wall of cannon defense they would face a lot of friendly fire from the confederates cannon batteries (Krick, 2014). The confederates would periodically expel all its ammo of a six gun batteries; once depleted a ready team would fill in for replacement. The confederates finally found a new line to approach the hill on the western slope of the hill to be able to protect their route (Krick, 2014). With this new route the confederates would only be able to get

There have been few battles throughout history that have held an esteemed position of being unprecedented. Stephen Crane’s, The Red Badge of Courage, was able to capture the significance of the battle that occurred at Chancellorsville without specifically naming the battle. Crane’s description of the events of this battle led the readers to realize that The Red Badge of Courage took place at Chancellorsville. The Battle of Chancellorsville during the American Civil War in 1863 led to a significant Confederate victory in the face of an overwhelming imbalance between the North and the South. The impact of this victory guaranteed that Robert E. Lee’s command would be imprinted on the pages of history for all to see and would allow the Union to realize what type of force with which they were reckoning.

He padded shoulders, noted faces. It was very quiet and dark down among the trees. Night was coming” ( pg 177) Here Chamberlain notes that many lives were taken during the battle. There was blood everywhere. The death to rose to fifteen thousand for both parties this day. There had never been a deadlier war. Chamberlain is feeling great grief. He could see the darkness around him, physically and mentally. The loss of all these men was being felt by someone. Them not going home for their kids. Their wives waiting for them at the dinner table. It created not only a space in homes and towns, but also in the armies. This makes both the Union and Confederacy vulnerable to each other. The Battle of Gettysburg created many gaps amongst families, national armies, and a country

In day one (July 1, 1863), the Confederates attack first in the west of Gettysburg. The day starts off with General Lee and General Longstreet discussing tactics while riding, Longstreet wants to out flank the Union army and cut off the road to Washington, forcing the Union to attack. Lee prefers that the Confederate army attack the Union army at Gettysburg and defeat them, then take Washington, as Lee believes that defending is not as honorable as attacking. They are interrupted by the sound of cannon fire and Lee decides to ride toward the guns. It is discovered from Buford’s point of view that the rebels have begun to attack, and his line is able to repel the first rebel charge. The rebels attack once again and once again they are held off. It is discovered that General Heth of the Confederacy is leading the charge, and a last large rebel attack is given. Buford knows he cannot hold the lines, but is saved by reinforcements from General Reynolds, who is shot in the open and killed. The Union line does not give in. Later, in Lee’s point of view, we learn that he has established a base of commands and the readers learn of the calamity of the battle, how Heth initially believed he was only attacking militia. The battle continues and Lee is informed that it appears the Union line is falling back. Lee meets Longstreet again to discuss tactics and Lee concludes that he will attack. In Chamberlain’s point of view, it is learned that Twentieth Maine is approaching Gettysburg, and

On the last and final day of the endless firing of the Gettysburg Battle, Pickett’s Charge began when Union Major General George Meade with his 6,500 men was facing 15,000 Confederate troops led by General Pickett. This happened because General Robert E. Lee thought he had weakened the first lines in the center and started to bombard them with 150 Confederate cannons, the largest amount ever assembled in the U.S. In reply, the Union sent 75 cannons back until ordered to cease fire. Fortunately, most of the South cannons overshot their targets and hence gave little damage to the North

In many historian’s eyes, James Ewell Brown Stuart holds the blame for the South’s lack of reconnaissance at the battles in Gettysburg. He did show up two days late to the event, with news that was no longer as pertinent as it was before. But, what if I told you that the fault did not rest with him? I feel that the blame is more widely dispersed. J.E.B. Stuart was a scapegoat for the blame that may have, nay, rightly should have been placed on the infallible General E. Lee or Longstreet. He was the scapegoat because he wasn’t alive to defend himself. The chain of command wasn’t designed in a manner by which all the blame rest on J.E.B Stuart. J.E.B Stuart received conflicting information from both Longstreet and Lee, having to make

The Gettysburg War went down in history as a War fought over slavery, yet Shaara did not want to portray this reasoning, he wisely kept this a broad area. Shaara researched historical events and stories to guide the accurate information written, he maintained as much truth as he could, “Both authors present fascinating scenarios of events we know took place but cannot read much about in actual history” (Skarstedt 452). By providing outstanding respect towards both Union and Confederate the book remains open and unbiased so that a reader is able to portray what they may have been the war’s reasoning. The ultimate respect towards our soldiers was achieved in not determining who could’ve been at fault, or who was the loser, winner, or even an

The next morning, July 3rd, Chamberlain’s men moved to the center of the center of the Union line, where they are supposed to be safe. At the Confederate camp, Longstreet tries to convince Lee to take the army to Washington, D.C. but Lee refuses. Longstreet then agrees to attack the center of the line. The Confederates began with an artillery barrage in an attempt to weaken the Union artillery on the other side. Not much damage is dealt to the Union batteries, since the Confederate artillery shoots too high. The Confederate attack began as the troops start marching across the open field toward the Union troops. The Union fired cannons, blew huge holes in the Confederate line and killed hundreds of men. Then the Union soldiers fire their guns, and killed hundreds more. The Confederates soon retreat and the Battle of Gettysburg comes to its

Chamberlain spends the night in big round top, and they are short for food and supplies. Chamberlain starts to overlook the battle, he lost eighty percent of his men in the battle last day, and his aide is in hospital. He realizes the problem that presents in the Union government which is the lack of management. On the other side of battle, Longstreet gets the information from the Goree, the aide of Longstreet, that Union is closed in their right side, and Longstreet suggests Lee is better to move south than to attack the center, because if the back army is divided, their battle line is destroyed, but, Lee does it anyway. Then, he and Longstreet go in frontline of the battle, and the soldiers also tells him that situation changes, Union have more food, soldiers, and war stuffs than they do. Later, he knows that Ewell does not follow the order again, and there is a surprise attack on them to force them back. Longstreet persuades Lee to change the order, Lee refuses it, and he persist on the original plan he makes. On the union side, Chamberlain sees Confederate army moves north. In order to save time for reinforcement, he orders Hancock to attack them with high cost. Also, they anticipate the Confederate will attack the

When they finally had the chance to rest, Chamberlain felt sorry for his men because he had no real knowledge of warfare or battle strategy. One of his only advantages, like many of us, was that he was stubborn, that he wasn’t about to give up. The 5th charge soon came and without time to reload their weapons, the soldiers began brawling with knives and swinging their rifles. And somehow they managed to push the Confederates back down the hill once more. Chamberlain began the fight with thousands of men by his side, now he had 80 men left. They had no ammunition and most of the rifles were jammed, broken, or lost anyway. In the distance, they saw the 6th charge forming, hundreds of enemies gathering at the foot of the hill. His men shouted for orders, fear was heavy in the air. In a last-ditch effort, Chamberlain then made the decision that ultimately won the battle: he told his men to fix their bayonets. He planned to face the confederates head-on in a charge of their own. When they were all in position, he yelled for them all to advance and they ran as fast as they could with their bayonets faced toward their mark. When the rebels saw them, most of them threw down their guns and ran in terror. And in 5 minutes, 80 men had conquered over 400. It’s an amazing story, isn’t it? And it’s absolutely true. Here’s what most people never realize though. Historians, like James R. Brann, have determined