The Real Story of Sgt. George H. Buck at Gettysburg

Reconstructed Rebel

1st Lieutenant
Joined
Jun 7, 2021
Does anyone know the actual story on this man? I'm reading "Army Life: A Private's Reminiscences of the Civil War," by Theodore Gerrish, a member of the 20th Maine, and he describes a very moving scene where, during a lull in the fighting on LRT, Joshua Chamberlain kneels over the dying Private Buck and restores him to the rank of Sergeant. Which seems like a pretty decent thing to do seeing as how Chamberlain probably had a lot of other things on his mind just then. Looking on CWT website for more info though, I find some folks don't think Gerrish is a very reliable source. It seems like the more I read, the less I know. Are there any good first person accounts of the 20th Maine? If this is covered in another thread, please direct me there. Thanks!
 
Keep in mind that Gerrish was not with the 20th Maine at Gettysburg; he was hospitalized near Philadelphia at the time.
https://www.historynet.com/broken-bond.htm
Great link. Thanks. I read a speech given by Chamberlain after the war which he begins by saying words to the effect of, "First I want to say that the tales of my daring exploits, as reported in the local papers this week, are not true."
As an (old) journalism major, I can attest to the notion that Hearst would most definitely have juiced up a story in any way necessary to increase the sale of his papers.
 
I found a George W. Buck on Findagrave.com who answers every description for this soldier except that my newly purchased Kindle version of Gerrish's book clearly identifies him as George H. Buck. The book says "In the national cemetery at Gettysburgh (sic) is a little mound marked Sergeant George H. Buck ...20th Maine Volunteers." According to Findagrave however, the location of his remains is unknown. I'm feeling seriously bummed about buying this book.
The cover says "a truthful representation of the marches, skirmishes, battles, associations, and camp life of the private soldier - TG Buckspobt (yes, that's how the name is really spelled). 😖 Guess I won't be enjoying the weekend reading a new book after all.
 
It's been years since I read Gerrish's book, and don't recall if he said he was personally present at Gettysburg. But, he was a member of the 20th Maine, and as such had every opportunity to hear the story first hand from those who were. So, while we might wonder how much he may have embroidered upon one incident or another (the same might be said of anyone's actual eyewitness testimony), I see no reason to doubt or dismiss him as "unreliable." If he kept in touch with his comrades, attended reunions, etc, they would have surely made it known if what he wrote was significantly inaccurate.

As with any memoir, handle Army Life: A Private's Reminiscences of the Civil War, with due care, but don't dismiss it.
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[National Tribune, Oct. 12, 1882]​
 
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If anyone has it available and nearby, check and see if this incident is mentioned in Thomas Desjardins' Stand Firm Ye Boys From Maine. My copy is in storage at the moment.

Ryan

It is in there. The incident that prompted Bucks demotion to Private from Sergeant occured in January 1853 when the 20th was encamped at winter quarters at Stonemans Switch, Virginia.

Apparently Buck was spotted by the regimental quartermaster, Lieutenant Alden Litchfield one day and was asked to cut some wood. Buck told Litchfield that he was on sick fall and exempt from duty and also, as a non-commissioned officer, it was not his duty to provide a personal service to the officer. Litchfield apparently struck Buck and then apparently pressed charged against Buck for insubordination.

Chamberlain (and many others) felt it was a miscarriage of justice (apparently Litchfield was a bully and would later be charged with bank robbery after the war).
 
I thumbed through my copy of Stand Firm Ye Boys From Maine and came up with a few tidbits of interest.
  1. The book plainly states that the accounts of Theodore Gerrish and Howard Prince were second hand as neither had been present at Gettysburg.
  2. In the 1890s Chamberlain submitted a list of 20th Maine participants in the battle to the Gettysburg Commission. he apparently struggled with the decision whether to include Gerrish's name on the list, but eventually did so.
  3. George Buck's full name was George Washington Buck. The book cites Chamberlain's account of the battle, Through Blood and Fire at Gettysburg as being another source for Buck's reinstatement to the rank of sergeant.
 
I thumbed through my copy of Stand Firm Ye Boys From Maine and came up with a few tidbits of interest.
  1. The book plainly states that the accounts of Theodore Gerrish and Howard Prince were second hand as neither had been present at Gettysburg.
  2. In the 1890s Chamberlain submitted a list of 20th Maine participants in the battle to the Gettysburg Commission. he apparently struggled with the decision whether to include Gerrish's name on the list, but eventually did so.
  3. George Buck's full name was George Washington Buck. The book cites Chamberlain's account of the battle, Through Blood and Fire at Gettysburg as being another source for Buck's reinstatement to the rank of sergeant.
thanks- and now I'm looking for a copy of Stand Firm Ye Boys From Maine 👍
 
Great link. Thanks. I read a speech given by Chamberlain after the war which he begins by saying words to the effect of, "First I want to say that the tales of my daring exploits, as reported in the local papers this week, are not true."
As an (old) journalism major, I can attest to the notion that Hearst would most definitely have juiced up a story in any way necessary to increase the sale of his papers.
I can add to this. George Washington Buck was the older brother of my 2nd great grandmother, Rebecca Buck Sawyer.
This is a fairly famous story: George was in his tent, when Alden Litchfield, the quartermaster, ordered him to chop wood. George refused on the grounds that he was sick and that he was a sergeant. Litchfield beat the bejesus out of George and busted him.
George made the best of it, and became well liked by his company. He was mortally wounded at Gettysburg, and his comrades called for Chamberlain. Chamberlain talked with him a bit and promoted him to back to sergeant as he was dying.
Several stories quote George as saying something along the lines of "I want my mother to know I didn't die a coward." That is most certainly untrue, because George's mother, Jane Williams Buck, died three years before in 1860. It did make for a good story.
The Buck family was only half way through tragedy. George's father, Africa Buck, died in the fall of 1863. George's brother, Henry, enlisted in the 1st DC Calvary, was wounded, and died in 1864 in a Confederate hospital. After his death, Henry was transferred to the 1st Maine Calvary.
That left my 2nd great grandmother in charge of four other children. She married Issac Sawyer and they stayed and are buried in Linneus, Maine. The other children spread out, with one going to California.
Litchfield was detested and distrusted by many. After the war, he returned home to Knox County and eventually served a prison term for bank robbery.
My 3rd great grandfather, Africa Buck, was a topic of a family story. My grandfather, Africa's great grandson, used to talk about Africa and his sisters, Asia and Europe. It was treated as gospel, but it wasn't true. No Asias or Europes in the family, but Africa did have a nephew named America.
 
I can add to this. George Washington Buck was the older brother of my 2nd great grandmother, Rebecca Buck Sawyer.
This is a fairly famous story: George was in his tent, when Alden Litchfield, the quartermaster, ordered him to chop wood. George refused on the grounds that he was sick and that he was a sergeant. Litchfield beat the bejesus out of George and busted him.
George made the best of it, and became well liked by his company. He was mortally wounded at Gettysburg, and his comrades called for Chamberlain. Chamberlain talked with him a bit and promoted him to back to sergeant as he was dying.
Several stories quote George as saying something along the lines of "I want my mother to know I didn't die a coward." That is most certainly untrue, because George's mother, Jane Williams Buck, died three years before in 1860. It did make for a good story.
The Buck family was only half way through tragedy. George's father, Africa Buck, died in the fall of 1863. George's brother, Henry, enlisted in the 1st DC Calvary, was wounded, and died in 1864 in a Confederate hospital. After his death, Henry was transferred to the 1st Maine Calvary.
That left my 2nd great grandmother in charge of four other children. She married Issac Sawyer and they stayed and are buried in Linneus, Maine. The other children spread out, with one going to California.
Litchfield was detested and distrusted by many. After the war, he returned home to Knox County and eventually served a prison term for bank robbery.
My 3rd great grandfather, Africa Buck, was a topic of a family story. My grandfather, Africa's great grandson, used to talk about Africa and his sisters, Asia and Europe. It was treated as gospel, but it wasn't true. No Asias or Europes in the family, but Africa did have a nephew named America.
It is always such a pleasure when a family member becomes a member of CWT and chimes in on a story about their ancestor. Welcome aboard @Wayne in Maine so happy you have joined us!
 
George made the best of it, and became well liked by his company. He was mortally wounded at Gettysburg, and his comrades called for Chamberlain. Chamberlain talked with him a bit and promoted him to back to sergeant as he was dying.
Thank you so much. That is why we join CWT - to get the story straight! So glad you joined us and looking forward to your future contributions.
 
My 3x great-grandfather was Nathan S. Clark, also in Co H. Seems to corroborate the story, but also adds some color. He wrote the following in his diary:

Some of the boys of our company H died with smallpox and others got well. A reconisense was ordered up the river and I had a bad cold and was excused by the surgeon and did not go. This move was afterwards called "Birnsides Stuck in the Mud." Our sick was left in camp and our QuarterMaster Aldin Litchfield was a very arbitary hard harted fellow and came threw the streets and ordered sick men out in the rain to cut him wood. He came to Sargt. George W Buck of our company and ordered him out. and Buck told him that he was sick and could not go where-upon Litchfield knocked him down and kicked him and when the regt. returned Buck has reported and redused to the ranks without any chanse for defense. Buck was a good soldier and stuck to his duty untill we wer in the field at little round top at getisburg [Gettysburg]. Ever at the front Buck was among the first to fall. At the first favorable opportunity, his comrades stooped over him. His lifeblood was fast flowing from a fatal wound, his thin blue lips quivered in derision and muttered, They reduced me to the ranks, but I will show them that I am not afraid to die. Col. Chamberlain was sent for. That gallant officer came and knelt by his side. "I was disgraced," hoarsely whispered the dying hero. "You are now exonerated and promoted to a sargency." exclaimed chivalrous officer. A sweet smile played upon the worn features a look of satisfaction came to the hungry eyes and he was dead. In the national cemetery at Getysburg is a little mound marked George H. Buck Co. H. 20th Maine Volunteers.

The quartermaster returned to Maine at the close of the war. A few years later telegrams were flying over the state with these had been on an attempted robery of the Lime Rock Bank at Rockland that the burglers had been arrested, and that among them was a prominent businessman of the town. As the members of our old regiment read his name, they saw it was the ex-quartermaster of whom I have been writing. He was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to serve a term of years in the state prison. Far better if he had filled a soldier's grave. When he was released from state prison he left for parts unknown. In the winter he was moved out of our brigade to avoid the spread of smallpox.
 
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