The Famous Charge of the Twentieth Maine 2 July 1863
by National Guard H Charles Mcbarron
Title
The Famous Charge of the Twentieth Maine 2 July 1863
Artist
National Guard H Charles Mcbarron
Medium
Painting - Oil On Canvas
Description
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 2, 1863
The Battle of Gettysburg, the largest battle ever fought in the Western hemisphere, is often called the turning point of the Civil War. Organized in the Maine Volunteer Militia in August 1862, the 20th Maine mustered into Federal service several weeks later. At Gettysburg, the 20th was commanded by Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain, a former professor at Maine's Bowdoin College. After marching all day and night to reach Gettysburg, the 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. 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 a seventh. He therefore ordered a counterattack with fixed bayonets, and the 20th charged down the slopes of Little Round Top into the startled Confederates and broke their attack.
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December 2nd, 2021
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