Chamberlain Joshua Chamberlain Question

rbortega

Corporal
Joined
May 4, 2013
Do you think Joshua Chamberlain would be as well remembered today were it not for him being so prominently featured in The Killer Angels/Gettysburg and Ken Burns Civil War documentary series?
 
He got the ball rolling for Shaara and Burns with some top notch shameless self-promotion and demanding that the story of his and his units' service be told his way.
 
Probably not. The fight on Little Round Top was very much a sideshow until "Killer Angels" brought it into focus.

R

That could be a controversial statement to many... But I happen to agree! I've always felt that Culp's Hill was much more important and has been overlooked in resent years. The myth is that the Confederates would have rolled up the entire Army of the Potomac if they had control of LRT. But my question is with what? The price to take that ground was horrific, there were no Confederate reinforcements. Besides, there doesn't seem enough space on that hill for artillery to be placed in numbers enough to move the Federal's from Cemetery Ridge.
 
Do you think Joshua Chamberlain would be as well remembered today were it not for him being so prominently featured in The Killer Angels/Gettysburg and Ken Burns Civil War documentary series?

No.
 
That could be a controversial statement to many... But I happen to agree! I've always felt that Culp's Hill was much more important and has been overlooked in resent years. The myth is that the Confederates would have rolled up the entire Army of the Potomac if they had control of LRT. But my question is with what? The price to take that ground was horrific, there were no Confederate reinforcements. Besides, there doesn't seem enough space on that hill for artillery to be placed in numbers enough to move the Federal's from Cemetery Ridge.

I agree. While Vincent's fight was valiant, it was not as decisive as it has been made out to be. If any of Vincent's men leave, Weed's brigade was coming as were the Pennsylvania Reserves while there were no Confederate reinforcements on the way.

R
 
Do you think Joshua Chamberlain would be as well remembered today were it not for him being so prominently featured in The Killer Angels/Gettysburg and Ken Burns Civil War documentary series?
He was a college professor and wrote some books after the war plus serving as Maine's governor helped. But "The Killer Angels" and Burn's series made him a household name a hundred and twenty something years after the fact. And the story of a College professor becoming a Major General and a war hero had that "can do" American slant.
 
He'd probably be known to most students of the battle, but he probably wouldn't be the national or maybe even international celebrity that he's become since the book and the movie. Probably the movie even more than the book. I went through what I call my Gettysburg phase back in the mid 80's, and on a visit to the park in 1985 I spent a fair amount of time wandering around over by the 20th Maine's area. The park was pretty busy, but the entire time I was over on that side of LRT I think I only saw maybe two other people. I wonder how possible that would be in June or July this year. :smile:

Perry
 
He'd probably be known to most students of the battle, but he probably wouldn't be the national or maybe even international celebrity that he's become since the book and the movie. Probably the movie even more than the book. I went through what I call my Gettysburg phase back in the mid 80's, and on a visit to the park in 1985 I spent a fair amount of time wandering around over by the 20th Maine's area. The park was pretty busy, but the entire time I was over on that side of LRT I think I only saw maybe two other people. I wonder how possible that would be in June or July this year. :smile:

Perry

Park at Devil's Den and walk up to LRT.

R
 
Do you think Joshua Chamberlain would be as well remembered today were it not for him being so prominently featured in The Killer Angels/Gettysburg and Ken Burns Civil War documentary series?

I think he was bound to be rediscovered at some point. The books "The Twentieth Maine" and "Soul of the Lion" came out in the late 50's early 60's and I guess that's how Shaara got interested. I think the spark was lit before the movie came out, someone was bound to tell the story. But now that it's out how long will we keep it alive?

I read the book and saw the movie because it was a high school class assignment. I think that's the one thing keeping it alive. It's a rather old book and an aging movie. When teachers get tired of it I wonder if anyone will know who he is.
 
If you remember Col. Joshua Chamberlain and the 2oth Maine, you got to remember Col. William C. Oates and the 15th Alabama as well.
Whether a marker or monument goes there or not,I'd like to know as close to exactly how deep into Chamberlain's line the Alabamians got. Hopefully when I read Ellis Spear's book, I will get a clearer picture of the events on Little Round Top. He seems to be pretty clear-headed and rational about the day's events.
 
I think he was bound to be rediscovered at some point. The books "The Twentieth Maine" and "Soul of the Lion" came out in the late 50's early 60's and I guess that's how Shaara got interested. I think the spark was lit before the movie came out, someone was bound to tell the story. But now that it's out how long will we keep it alive?

I read the book and saw the movie because it was a high school class assignment. I think that's the one thing keeping it alive. It's a rather old book and an aging movie. When teachers get tired of it I wonder if anyone will know who he is.

It's not going away. Until there's something better. Which there isn't. :smile:
 
Hopefully when I read Ellis Spear's book, I will get a clearer picture of the events on Little Round Top. He seems to be pretty clear-headed and rational about the day's events.

I don't know about that, he had a falling out with Chamberlain and completely changed his story.
 
I don't know about that, he had a falling out with Chamberlain and completely changed his story.
Is that falling out anything more than Spear believed that members of the 20th Maine, Chamberlain included, exaggerated their roles on Little Round Top and Day 2 of Gettysburg, when simply telling the story of what happened was heroic enough? That's what I've read and have come to understand at least.
 
Back
Top