20th Maine Infantry Regiment

20th Maine Infantry Regiment
John McKean · Public domain · source
Unit name	20th Maine Infantry Regiment
Dates	August 29, 1862 – July 16, 1865
Country	United States
Allegiance	Union
Branch	Infantry
Type	Regiment
Size	~1,621 served, ~716 at muster (varied)
Notable commanders	Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

20th Maine Infantry Regiment The 20th Maine Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized in Augusta, Maine, the regiment participated in major campaigns including the Battle of Fredericksburg, the Battle of Gettysburg, and the Siege of Petersburg, gaining particular renown for its action on Little Round Top and its commander Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. Composed largely of men from Maine, the regiment's service illustrates the role of Northern volunteer units in the Army of the Potomac and the broader conflict between the Union and the Confederate States of America.

Formation and Organization

The regiment was mustered into service on August 29, 1862, under state authorities in Maine and federal mustering protocols of the United States. Recruitment drew heavily from cities and towns such as Augusta, Maine, Portland, Maine, and Bangor, Maine, with company designations reflecting local militia traditions. Early organization followed the standard regimental structure used by the Union Army and was integrated into the V Corps of the Army of the Potomac. Leadership appointments included civilian-turned-soldier figures and educated officers like Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, who brought experience from Bowdoin College and the milieu of antebellum northeastern institutions.

Service History

After mustering, the regiment moved to the Eastern Theater to join operations around Fredericksburg, Virginia and later took part in the Chancellorsville Campaign as part of brigade and divisional maneuvers under corps commanders such as Maj. Gen. George G. Meade and Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren. During the Gettysburg Campaign, the 20th Maine was attached to the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, V Corps and executed defensive and offensive tasks in coordination with neighboring units including the 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry, 1st Minnesota, and elements of the II Corps. In the later years of the war the regiment served in the Overland Campaign, engaged during the Siege of Petersburg, and participated in the final thrusts that led to the surrender at Appomattox Court House where elements of the regiment witnessed the capitulation of forces under Robert E. Lee.

Gettysburg and Little Round Top

At the Battle of Gettysburg from July 1–3, 1863, the regiment was stationed on the extreme left flank of the Union line on Little Round Top on July 2. Under the command of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, the regiment held a key position against repeated attacks by brigades under Confederate generals including Cadmus M. Wilcox and regimental formations from the Army of Northern Virginia. Facing a risk of envelopment and collapse of the Union left, Chamberlain ordered a famous downhill bayonet charge that engaged formations such as the 15th Alabama Infantry Regiment and elements of the Confederate States Army infantry. The successful charge stabilized the flank, drawing praise from corps commanders including Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock and influencing subsequent historiography by historians such as Bruce Catton and Shelby Foote.

Leadership and Notable Personnel

Command leadership centered on figures who transitioned from civilian prominence to military command. Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain became synonymous with the regiment for his role at Gettysburg and later promotions to brevet brigadier general and brevet major general. Other officers included company commanders and lieutenants drawn from communities across Maine, some of whom later wrote memoirs or corresponded with historians like Edward P. Alexander and participated in veterans' organizations such as the Grand Army of the Republic. The regiment's ranks included soldiers who had served in prewar militia units, veterans of early Eastern Theater engagements, and men who later became civic leaders in municipalities like Bangor, Maine and Lewiston, Maine.

Equipment, Uniforms, and Casualties

Arms and equipment for the regiment reflected Union procurement systems, including rifled muskets such as the Springfield Model 1861 and accouterments standard to infantry regiments in the Army of the Potomac. Uniforms conformed largely to Union regulation tunics, trousers, and kepis, though battlefield conditions produced variations similar to other volunteer regiments like the 5th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment and 17th Maine Infantry Regiment. Casualty figures were substantial: the regiment suffered losses in combat and from disease consistent with wartime attrition patterns, with totals reported across engagements from Fredericksburg through Appomattox and many men-listed among wartime memorial rolls and cemetery records such as those maintained at Gettysburg National Military Park.

Legacy and Commemoration

The regiment's legacy is preserved in books, monuments, and commemorations, including the prominent memorial on Little Round Top and references in Civil War literature and public memory curated by institutions such as the National Park Service, Maine State Museum, and veteran associations like the Grand Army of the Republic. The story of the 20th Maine has been featured in works by Michael Shaara and in historiography by scholars including Edwin B. Coddington and Gary W. Gallagher, shaping interpretations of leadership, courage, and small-unit action in the Civil War. Annual reenactments, preservation efforts by organizations such as the Civil War Trust and battlefield stewardship programs continue to commemorate the regiment's service, influencing both scholarly study and public engagement with the American Civil War.

Category:Union Army regiments from Maine Category:Military units and formations established in 1862 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1865