The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-06-22
Joshua |. Chamberlain

eStaDllSneu 100 new posts and increased the
membership to 1863, a gain of 400 per cent and
one which gave the order its first boom in that
state Commander Kountz has family consisting
OF wife and five children.
JOSHUA L. Chamberlain
availed himself of leave of absence to visit Eu-
rope while Professor Of Modern languages at
Bowdon College, to tender his services to Gov.
Washburn for any military duty to which His
Exeellency might assign him, and was appointed
Lieut.. Colonel of the goth Maine After the bat
tie of Antietam on the Goth of September a
heavy reconnaissance was made by this regiment at
Shepardstown Ford and the regiment having
crossed and formed line Of battle. Col. Cham
berlain was sent back to lead over the broken
column checked by the severity of the fire that
swept the ford He sat on his horse target for
the enemy In the middle Of the Potomac keeping
the men steady and urging them across, and as
sisting in maintaining order in the repulse which
followed owing to the overwhelming force of the
enemy. At Fredericksburg he participated in the
whole action, and was wounded in the cheek, and
was present in all the reconnoisances, Skin
mishes and actions in which his regiment partici
pated during the winter. In the movements pre-
ceding the battle of Charlottesville the regiment
was left in camp, as the men had been inocuiated
with small pox by mistake, and Gen. Chamber
berlaiA rode to headquarters and asked the priv
ilege of taking the men somewhere on the line
saying eff they couldn't do anything else they
could give the rebels the small pox, In cOnse-
quence the signal and telegraph lines were placed
in his charge, and had a horse wounded under
him by piece Of shell, and at night, after the
withdrawal of all the men he withdrew his COM
mand the last on the ground. May Goth he was
appointed Colonel of the Goth. At Gettysburg he
was assigned to the post of great importance and
md
Withstood an attack of two hours duration from
Laws brigade of Hoods division, on front flank
ana rear, Ills ammunition being exhausted and his
command using that of the rebel dead around
them. He met a fresh line of the enemy at half
way with the bayonet, routing them completely,
driving them across the slope Of Round Top. kill
and wounding 100 and capturing twice his own
number. At dusk on foot, he and his command
carried the heights at Round Top with the BAY
onet alone. For this action the goth received
the personal and official thanks of brigade, diyi-
sion and corps commanders, and the Colonel was
recommended fer promotion to Brigadier-G eneral
Gen Chamberlain was assigned to the command
OF the Sd brigade. LIST division, 9th corps and
brought the brigade TO high degree of excellence
It would be impossible in the limits OF this article
to more than refer to his services. At PETERSBURG
In June, 1864 he led his command at the STORM
ing of the heights carrying the flag In his hands
and carried them. During subsequent attack he
was shot through the body from hip to hip, but
Kept himself VI, by balancing on his sabre till his
men had passed him in the charge For his ser
vices on that day Gen. Grant promoted Gen
Chamberlain to Brigadier-General on the field the
SoHtary instance IN military history. For two
months he lay at the point OF death at Annapolis
but in five months before he could mount a horse
or walk hundred yards, he commanded his brig
ade On March Goth, 1866 with his single
brigade and battery Of artillery he encountered
Johnson's and Anderson's commands, five times
his number and in the battled which ensued he
had every one of his staff killed OF wounded his
own horse was shot under him, he was twice
painfully wounded in breast and arm but the
enemy was driven and the army occupied the
coveted Plank Road
For this acton President Lincoln made him a
Major General by brevet. AT Five Forks his
battle flags. In the final action at Appomattox,
as the flag OF truce came in and the enemy fired
their last cannon one of Chamberlain's officers
was killed by it, the last man to fall in Virginia.
Gen. Chamberlain received the formal surrender
OF the arms and eolors of Lees army April IL,
1865. During the war he commanded troops in
"a battles and eight reconnoisances, without
counting skirmishes. He was six times struck BY
shot and shell, and captured POO prisoners and
eight battle flags After Lees surrender he was
made full Major General. and WAS mustered ont