The Portland daily press., 1866-06-23
General chamberlain.

Gen. j. l., Chamberlain, OF Brunswick, who
received the nomination of the Gubernatorial
Convention at Bangor on Thursday, is gen.
tleman whom the Republican party of Maine
may with just pride present to the people as
their candidate. A man of distinguished
ability and of admirable scholarship, yet med
est and wholly free from assumption, Of a
character frank, honorable and manly, and OF
an untarnished reputation, he would seem to
possess all the qualities emitting him to the
confidence of the party which will elect him,
even without the brilliant military record
which is, perhaps, his warmest claim to the af
fections of the people. As however, the Gen
eral, despite his high position, and the esteem
in which he has been held, has not hitherto
been prominent in public life, some brief
sketch of his personal antecedents may not
be uninteresting.
General Chamberlain is about thirty-eight
years of age. In 1852 he was graduated with
very high honors at Bowdoin College, and al
forwards went through course of theologic-
al study preparatory to entering the ministry.
In 1855, however, the chair of the Professor
of Rhetoric at Bowdoin becoming vacant, he
was invited to assume that position, which he
accepted and still holds.
The outbreak of the war found him absorb
ed in the important duties of his office, and
notwithstanding strong desire which urged
him to enter the army, he yielded to the earn
est discussions of the Col Iege which was un-
willing to spare his services, and remained at
his post up to 1862. At the commencement
which took place in August of that year, he
was granted a leave of absence, with salary
continued, for the purpose of visiting Europe.
But the period was that dark one in the his
campaign of Mcclellan against Richmond,
and the repulse of Pope at the second battle
of Bull Run. The needs of the country call
ed for the service of every man who owned
an arm or brain, and the patriotic impulses of
Gen. Chamberlain would not permit him at
such time to turn his back upon his native
land. His cherished purpose of visiting the
old world was at once renowned, and against
the circumstances of his college he rendered
to Governor Washburn his services for any
military duty which might be assigned him.
He Immediately received a commission as
Lieutenant-Colonel of the goth Maine, and on
the first of September left for the Army of the
Potomac. The regiment was incorporated in
the famous 9th Corps and served with it TO
the end ofthe war. Col. Chamberlain partici-
pated in the Maryland campaign, and was
present at the battle of Antietam, but his first
llu trnno
of Fredericksburg, where his regiment being
pushed to thu extreme front of the rebel works
suffered terribly. They held their posi- ton
herocally during the afternoon and night, and
until the army had safely recrossed the river,
when they followed. In this action Col.
Chamberlain was slightly wounded and be-
haved with great gallantry.
At the battle OF Charlottesville, owing to
the regiment having the smallpox, it was at
first left in camp, but Col. Chamberlain, then
in command, rode to Gen. Hooker and solicit.
ed and obtained permission to join with his
regiment in the movement, assuring the Gen.
eral "if they could do nothing else they would
give the rebels the smallpox" At the battle
OF Gettysburg he occupied with his regiment
the extreme left of our line of battle, resting
upon Little Round Top" name which will
be famous In history. 1t wasa position of the
greatest danger and Importance, as it was the
key OF the battlefield. The second day the
rebels made the most determined efforts to
turn this position; they never fought with
greater valor or desperation, but thew yvero ,o+
with equal valor and determination.
The official report of Gen. Rice says:
Col. Chamberlain held the extreme ,ot.
the entire line of battle. While hotly enyaa1
ed with the enemy's main line, he discovered
large force in rear of this line moving to our
left, with the purpose OF outfanlxing and at
lacking our line in rear. BY skill1ul and
bold manoeuvre he Immediately threw his left
wing nearly at right angles with his right, sc
as to present a front instead of flank to this
force, Here he fought most desperately, re-
sisting shock after shock from the enemy's
heavy lines, three times pushed back, but re
gaining the ground, and at length when over
powered by the vast pleponderance and i'm
petuosity oil the foe, and with his ammunition
totally exhausted, instead of giving way, he
dashed upon the enemy with bayonet
charge, which completely broke and finally re.
pulsed them with the loss in killed and
wounded of nearly half of his regiment, but
capturing with the heroic remnant $50 prison.
ers, officers and men, fiom tour different reg
iments, and leaving over $50 of the enemy7s
killed and wounded on the field.
At the battle of Petersburg, June 1S, 1864.
Col. Chamberlain, commanding brigade, led
the assault upon the enemy's works. His
horse was shot under him, but seizing a flag
he still led on foot his brave followers, and
through the awful carnage carried the rebel
works.