Gettysburg Greg
First Sergeant
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2010
- Location
- Decatur, Illinois
In 1889, General Joshua Chamberlain and other members of the 20th Maine came to Gettysburg for the dedication of their monument on Little Round Top. In the then and now photograph below, Chamberlain is seen sitting at right center with the furled colors next to him. Chamberlain was not happy to see rock breastworks lining the position held by the 20th during the battle. He claimed his men fought in the open, completely exposed, during the repeated attacks by Oates' Alabamians so the "modern" breastworks were misleading. As I understand it, Chamberlain first insisted that the works be removed. However, a compromise was reached when Chamberlain agreed to leaving the works in place as long as a sign was prominantly located that clearly stated they were not there during the July 2nd fight. Chamberlain's sign can be seen today along the modern Sykes Avenue directly in front of the rock wall. I will also include a photo I took of the sign last year.