Every Civil War Magazine I get in the mail has an article about Chamberlin and the glorious 20th of Maine. There were other units at Gettysburg...did you know? How abut the 12th Corps at the other end of the line? The 2nd Corps in the middle? And, on and on.....I know, I know. Publishers are in the business of selling magazines.

No Dave, only the 20th Maine fought at Gettysburg.  They whooped the hole Cofederate army at one spot   .

I'm partial to the 1st Potomac Home Brigade.  They were enlisted primarily  to guard the B&O, ended up captured at Harper's Ferry in '62, spent like half a year imprisoned in Annapolis in Camp Parole, then were attached at the last minute to the 12th Corps, sent into action at Spangler's Spring, got shot up charging the Confederate lines and then -- just as they were about to close -- were ordered to halt because another Union regiment was rolling up the CS troops in front of them.

Beat up, shot up, stopped at their moment of almost-glory -- they were as much of the story as anyone else.

Yes Saint Joshua won the Battle of Gettysburg. Joshua Chamberlain was a brave and very good officer during the war, but the legend made by the movie and books on the 20th Maine tends to overshadow all others in the mind of the average tourist.

I remeber one year my Berdan unit was doing our usual living history atop LRT and a tourist asked me why Buster Kilrain's name was not on the 20th Maine monument and where was he buried. I told her he was a fictional character in the book "The Killer Angel". She was very dissappointed and she was going to check with the NPS Rangers to see if what I said was true.

Just like Easy Co. 506th PIR, 101st Airborne was the only unit in the ETO during WW2.

  Hallo!

 Well, you would just be plain just wrong!
 Hiram Berdan and his Sharpshooters won Gettysburg, as later agreed to by James Longstreet himself, when the Sharpshooters
fought off Longstreet at Pitzer's Woods- causing enough of a delay for the rest of the Union Army to get set.

 ;)

 Curt

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Curt Schmidt wrote :   Hallo!  Well, you would just be plain just wrong!  Hiram Berdan and his Sharpshooters won Gettysburg, as later agreed to by James Longstreet himself, when the Sharpshooters fought off Longstreet at Pitzer's Woods- causing enough of a delay for the rest of the Union Army to get set.  ;)  Curt

All kidding aside we could certianly name many fine union units when you add their respective contributions to what became a victory at Gettysburg.

Of course everyone knows Dan Sickles won the battle with his forward movement    

Obviously, the Union victory at Gettysburg was a combined effort, assisted by moments of good fortune and possibly simple luck.

That said, there was valor aplenty on both sides of the line, and the misfortunes of one day could lead to the successes of the next day.

When all is said and done, it simply happened as it did.  It could have ended differently, for good or ill, for either side.

We as a people like to see heroes, and so choose some from among the valiant hordes to single out for special recognition.  When doing so, we just need to be careful not to minimize the efforts of those around them who also contributed greatly to the result.

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GrumpyDave wrote : Every Civil War Magazine I get in the mail has an article about Chamberlin and the glorious 20th of Maine. There were other units at Gettysburg...did you know? How abut the 12th Corps at the other end of the line? The 2nd Corps in the middle? And, on and on.....I know, I know. Publishers are in the business of selling magazines.

I noticed this too in my recent round of magazines.. there is also the token toss to Vicksburg in them.. but it is all about LRT..

Did they forget about the other 2 days.  

I couldn't watch the whole movie.  Did they get anything in about Captain Dilger and Battery I, 1st Ohio LA?

Nope. Not more than 5 minutes on the entire first day. It's not in the book.

Guys,

There was a nice article about the Little Round Table fight from the Confederate point of view in this month's "Civil War Times". The author actually walked the route of the 15th. Alabama to Little Round Top, by the way of Big Round Top.

I'll bet he had water.

The Chamberlain legend started long before the book or movie came out.  Ole' Josh himself had a lot to do with that.  Even old comrades like Ellis Spear were fed up with his tendency to spice up the truth.  

I can understand the publics fascination with him though.  A college professor with no military experience rising to the rank of Brigadier General!  He was the type of guy Americans love.  He was highly self disciplined, determined, and successful.  Even today we always seem to elevate people like that.  Bill Gates, Gene Simmons, Donald Trump, etc.

I also understand your frustrations.  Probably similar to what veterans of Gettysburg felt themselves sometimes.  Personally I wonder why you hardly ever hear about the hard fighting at Culp's Hill.  Or the 107th Ohio (with the rest of the 11th corp), the "damned Dutch" that ran at Chancelorsville (did I spell that right?), and ran again on July 1st, but redeemed themselves on Cemetery Hill.  Hey, how about the 8th Ohio during Pickett's Charge?

There are great stories of valor on both sides throughout the entire war that get overshadowed.  I guess that's why guys like us are around, to keep those stories alive.    

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Bill wrote : Guys, There was a nice article about the Little Round Table fight from the Confederate point of view in this month's "Civil War Times". The author actually walked the route of the 15th. Alabama to Little Round Top, by the way of Big Round Top.

I have done this walk a few times over the years. It is quite interesting and I have titled it the Advance of the Alabamians or the Retreat of the 2nd USSS since the two go hand in hand. Yes, take water with you and avoid the summer time. A nice cool fall day is best..that is one steep climb on BRT.  

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......ran again on July 1st, but redeemed themselves on Cemetery Hill.  Hey, how about the 8th Ohio during Pickett's Charge?

I think the bad reputation the 11th Corps has is just uncalled for at with Gettysburg (I'm not that familiar with Chancellorsville.)  When I walked the area that the 11th Corps held on the 1st day its no wonder they broke.  The problem seems to be with the 11th Corps was their leadership above Brigade.  

I've walked the route the 4th. Texas took to get to Little Round Top. It would be interesting to do it today, now that they've removed so many trees.

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Bill wrote : I've walked the route the 4th. Texas took to get to Little Round Top. It would be interesting to do it today, now that they've removed so many trees.

Would not the 4th Texas route to LRT take you on part of battlefield that was part of Farnsworth's Charge if I remember correctly?

Marc, I think you're right. You'd go between the Slyder barn and house and BRT then across the open field and a stream(used to be a small footbridge there), into a little patch of woods that would end at the stone wall then the open field where the Farnsworth monument is, into the woods again, across "The Devil's Kitchen" and to a spot about in front of the 83rd PV and the rookie regiment of Butterfields Brigade.

Of course, any leader regardless of rank is only as good as the men under him.  If they spook, disobey orders, or break and run well, there goes his reputation.  So the great leaders were made by the men under them, as well as by the trying times through which they led.

Here's to the 8th Ohio and the 12th NJ (honored at our 1888 event last year) who valiantly fought off Pickett's charge at the High Tide mark.

Linda.