The Battle of Little Round Top was one of the most important battles of the Civil War, but is also one of the most forgotten. On July 2nd, 1863 in Gettysburg, PA the 20th Maine led by Col. Joshua Chamberlain were the extreme left of the Union line. The regiment was charged with defending the hill known as Little Round Top to ensure that the Confederate 47th and 15th Alabama regiments would not break through and flank the entire Union Army fighting at Gettysburg. The battle of Gettysburg was in the second day of fighting by this point and the hill held significant strategic value for both armies. It is said that General Lee of the Confederate Army and General Meade of the Union Army must have had the same thought’s at almost the same time about …show more content…
The 20th Maine was the tip of the hook and the end of the line. The Confederate Regiment outnumbered the Union Regiment on the hill, but the Union had the high ground. The Confederates attempted multiple times to push up the hill and flank the Union Army so that they could get behind the rest of the Union and corner them, if this would have happened the Confederates would have been able to continue their march north. The 20th Maine being short on personnel and ammunition stretched their line from the standard column of three down to one to ensure that they went as far left as they could to prevent the Confederates from flanking. After the Confederates third attempt at taking the hill the 20th Maine had run out of ammunition and were ordered by Col Chamberlain to fix bayonets and to perform a sweeping right wheel charge down the hill. Col. Chamberlain led the charge and almost met his end when a Confederate Soldier placed a pistol in his face and squeezed the trigger, however the weapon jammed. The Confederate regiment after the third charge had lost nearly half of their men and could not push to make another charge, resulting in the Union Army holding the hill. Col. Chamberlain was later awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in stopping the Confederates from advancing and turned the tide of the entire