Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on July 2, 1863 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with 20th Maine Infantry. Chamberlain was 34 years old.
27 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on August 11, 1893, 30 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Brevet Major General.
Chamberlain was born on September 8, 1828 in Brewer, Penobscot County, Maine. His Medal of Honor is credited to Brunswick, Cumberland County, Maine. Chamberlain died on February 24, 1914 in Portland, Maine, at the age of 85. He is buried at Pine Grove Cemetery in Brunswick, Maine. His medal is held by Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum (1896 design), Brunswick, ME ; Hawthorne-Longfellow Library, Bowdoin College (1904 design), Brunswick, ME.
Chamberlain is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 66 credited to Maine.
Official Medal of Honor citation
Daring heroism and great tenacity in holding his position on the Little Round Top against repeated assaults, and carrying the advance position on the Great Round Top.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: American Civil War.
Life beyond the battlefield
- Offices held: Governor of Maine
- Occupations: governor, politician, editor, businessperson, university teacher
- Education: Bowdoin College, Bangor Theological Seminary
Source: Wikidata.
Places
Timeline
- September 8, 1828Born in Brewer, Penobscot County, Maine
- July 2, 1863Act of valor — Gettysburg, PennsylvaniaAge 34. 20th Maine Infantry
- August 11, 1893Medal of Honor presented
- February 24, 1914Died in Portland, MaineAge 85.
- Resting placePine Grove CemeteryBrunswick, Maine
Biography
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (born Lawrence Joshua Chamberlain, September 8, 1828 – February 24, 1914) was an American college professor and politician from Maine who volunteered during the American Civil War to join the Union Army. He became a highly respected and decorated Union officer, reaching the rank of brigadier general (and brevet major general). He is best known for his gallantry at the Battle of Gettysburg, leading a bayonet charge, for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Chamberlain was commissioned a lieutenant colonel in the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment in 1862, and fought at the Battle of Fredericksburg.
From the Wikipedia article “Joshua Chamberlain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
