Synopses & Reviews
Best known as the hero of Little Round Top at Gettysburg and the commanding officer of the troops who accepted the Confederates' surrender at Appomattox, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (1828-1914) has become one of the most famous and most studied figures of Civil War history. After the war, he went on to serve as governor of Maine and president of Bowdoin College. The first collection of his postwar letters, this book offers important insights for understanding Chamberlain's later years and his place in chronicling the war.
The letters included here reveal Chamberlain's perspective on military events at Gettysburg, Five Forks, and Appomattox, and on the planning of ceremonies to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Gettysburg. As Jeremiah Goulka points out in his introduction, the letters also shed light on Chamberlain's views on politics, race relations, and education, and they expose some of the personal difficulties he faced late in life. On a broader scale, Chamberlain's correspondence contributes to a better understanding of the influence of Civil War veterans on American life and the impact of the war on veterans themselves. It also says much about state and national politics (including the politics of pensions), family roles and relationships, and ideas of masculinity in Victorian America.
Review
"Following his valorous and strategically important service in the American Civil War, Union General Joshua Chamberlain returned home to Maine in 1865, changed in body and mind from the Professor of Rhetoric he had been in 1862. He had suffered six wounds two nearly fatal. Fighting in twenty-four battles, he had tasted both the awful burden and the addictive satisfaction of command. How was this highly educated, knightly war hero to be of further service to his state, the nation, and the veterans of the Civil War? These letters reveal how Chamberlain addressed that question during his forty-nine postwar years. While attaining prominence as governor, educator, historian, and businessman, Chamberlain never abandoned the attitude of a bold, independent-minded citizen-soldier. As governor he worked to modernize Maine's economy and improve its public education, but his refusal to play partisan politics doomed his bid for the U.S. Senate and precluded appointment to high office. Having seen the impact of science and engineering in winning the Civil War, Chamberlain broadened the curricula of Bowdoin College, but in requiring compulsory military training he instigated a student revolt. A frequent theme in his letters is concern for the welfare and fair recognition of Civil War veterans. When politics was being played with pensions and the postwar awarding of medals and rank, Chamberlain wrote in frustration to an official in Washington: I am ashamed to be obliged to solicit as a favor what [was] earned at the point of a sword. His letters were addressed to people in a wide range of stations in life: presidents, generals, old comrades, fellow educators, business partners and always, members of his family. As definite and persuasive as a saber thrust in writing to officials, Chamberlain could be tender and solicitous with his relatives. Editor Goulka has compiled this selection of letters not only to chronicle Chamberlain's deeds but also to reveal the depths of feeling, the commitment to honor, and the obsession for the truth that resided in this remarkable man who suffered in almost constant pain from war wounds. A foreword by historian James McPherson and notes by Goulka provide historical context for the letters." Reviewed by Ed Imhoff, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)
Review
"Goulka deserves thanks . . . for giving us a deeper understanding of a genuine American hero."
Civil War News
Review
"Jeremiah Goulka should be commended for his work in bringing together Chamberlain's postwar correspondence. His words serve as a reminder that the experience of war remained with the veterans long afer the guns fell silent."
Civil War History
Synopsis
A selection of the post-war letters of Union General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (1828-1914), the college professor who became a Civil War hero and one of its most widely admired figures. After the war Chamberlain returned home to Maine where he was elected to three terms as governor, served as president of Bowdoin College, and became an infliuential chronicler of the Army of the Potomac. These letters, arranged chronologically, shed light on Chamberlain's varied career and illuminate his views on military history, politics, and education.
About the Author
Jeremiah Goulka is a constitutional lawyer in Washington, D.C.