Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1865-12-29
Cent Chamberlain's Lecture.

assembled at Writings Hall to listen to
the lecture of General Chamberlain. on
the Maine Goth. We do but echo the uni
yersal sentiment Of the large audience as
semblcd, in stating that the lecture was one
OF surprising merit. Those in attendance
were held in complete subsection for an
hour and three quarters, by the power of
the speaker. Thinking that something
more than mere mention of this effort is
/ due to the speaker and his noble regiment,
we append 50 much of the report of it as
we find in the Portland Transcript. 1t is
not every regiment that was so fortunate
in its chosen leader, while marching to do
gallant service for the Union i'll the field,
nor in having one so well able to make its
deeds historic, by the magic power Of the
pen:
4 The story Of a heroic fight was told by
+ Gen. Chamberlain, in his lecture here last
week. with classic elegance OF style and II
vivid power of word painting. 1t Was more
! than a mere battlrlieee: it was revelation
ofhistory, a vindication OF brave men who
/ have never yet received full credit for their
heroic deeds. The story itself, while de-
signed only to do justice to his regiment,
/ fully bore out the compliment which. on
/ introducing him 10 the audience. Gov.
Washburn paid 10 the lecturer when he
said he had high authority for pron0uncing
him 1.-THE first military genius contributed
| by New England to the war" The Cen
/ ! I H.. Il,
true soldier, and the grace and elegance Of
the scholar. Many Of his sentences were
finely turned; he was at times even too
rhetorical in style, but his descriptions. Of
the battle were exceedingly vivid and
picturesque. lie gave us an inside view
of the fight. took lis with hminto the thick
of the battle, amid the crachlc OF musketry,
the rear of artillery, the cries. the smoke.
ard fame and blood of the determined
hand 10 hand contest.
His regiment, the 20th Maine, formed
part of the brigade sent on that eyentful
day of July. to hold the rocky eminenee
called Little Round Top, on the extreme
left of the Union lines. 1t was position
Of great Importance. and should have been
earlier secured. As the brigade went toll
ing up the rocky asccit the rebels in dark
masses were already advancing on the op-
poslte side OF the rocky gorge below II.
Shot and shell Whistled over the heads Of
our men as they struggled up the steep.
The summit was reached and the line OF
battle was formed. The enemy came on
dark and multitudinous as the angry sea
There was the distan. murmu swelling to
roar: the surging masses of armed men
with flags unfurled. with defiant shouts,
dashing towards the hill. Our artillery.
lifted up the steep BY hand. replied to
theirs The rattle oil musketry followed.
and the battle ragged with fury. The as
sailants largely outnumbered the a.sailed,
bat the latter had strong position which
they ntaSt hold or he entirely cut eff. They
had but enc outlet from their position ana
if the enemy gained their rear that war
lest. IN the midst OF the fight Col. Cham
berlain, standing on rock above his men,
saw body Of the enemy, behind their front
/ line, stcaltlliy moving TO the extreme. left.
Their object Was appatent-it Wa. TO Gu
/ yelope our left and rear How TO meet
them was the question. II was deBe by a
most skillt movement. Ordering his
right wing TO eXteudts line, by side step,
.eit3ks StJt tirlaa III the enemy in trent, ST.
as 70 I'LL tie space occupied by the whole
regiment and Pre.ent no gap to the enemy,
the letl Wig Was moved by the rear to the
p0lGt Of threatened attack. Vixen the
enemy came III view. instead Of an Gnguard-
ed pint as they expected, they found their
advance re.olutelY opposed. Greatly cut
Numbering our men, -Hoaeyer, tEry rushed
10 the onset with loud Lnrrahs. The CON
ti3et heea.nc as;trhined and deadly; the
men met and Hyiasted in the iac; at tunes
Col. Chamberlain slW more OF the enemy
than ol his own men around dim. over
borne by numbers our brave boys were at
as forced to fall back. inch by inch, until
their dead and dying lay between them
aud the enemy. Maddenea by the sight,
they rushed again upon the foe. anu drove
them fron the itid Bat fresh regiment,
advanced rom the woods to take the place
Of the flying foe. Again the terrible con
file; ragged again outnumbcrcd orr line
fell slowly back to the boHldcrs, when re-
b9aaiiae from item they again dashed at
the enemy, and again sent them fyinr to
TIE cover OF the woods. The men were now
exhausted; nearly half their number had
ialien; the color sergeant. all lis COM
rats dead or dying. stood alone b. the llar.
his intrepid conduct serving, it almost
seemed, to alone Eli the gap in the line
But third tane the enemy ADVANCED
Our mea, supplying Themselves with gun,
and ammunition from the dead rebels
around them. prepared once more to meet
them. Fortunately the enemy. stopped
half way and commenced firing. The 40il
returned their fire until their ammunition
was exhausted, and then turned an anxiou.
look al their commander. He uttered but
ole word, 'Bayonets :" With u glad or,
the stee, WIS fixed, and without waiting
for TIE word Charge" the thin line lean
ed forward with the fairy of the tiger Tine
enemy were struck with amazement; they
tlrew down their arms held up their
hands and begged for their lives. Rushing
over these the line went on. and rebel
Colonel. who should have shot him dead.
surrendered to Col. Chamberlain his whole
command Ii was difficult to stop the men
thy were ou the road to Richmond ,
With difficulty tui. Chamberlain brought
them back. \ whole brigade had flung
down their arms To one hundred aud
ninciy-oight men They returned with
tj6ar haHdrca prisoners, leaving one hun
dred aud fifty of the enemy dead on the
field. Night vas falling. The men drop-
ped from exhaustion, and many had fallen
asleep. Bat again they aroused at the
~ofd that the flag was going forward, and
amid terrible fire carried the summit of
Great Round Top. Next day, when the
4tltiI was called by the commander Of the
brigade To the head OF the column, and
handsomely cOmplimented for their heroic