Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain’s bayonet charge at Little Round Top
E497193
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain’s bayonet charge at Little Round Top was a decisive Civil War action during the Battle of Gettysburg in which Union troops, low on ammunition, launched a daring downhill assault that helped secure the Union left flank and became one of the conflict’s most celebrated feats of battlefield leadership.
Statements (46)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Civil War battle maneuver
ⓘ
military action ⓘ |
| army | Army of the Potomac NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| associatedPerson | Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| associatedPlace | Little Round Top monument to the 20th Maine NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| brigade | 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, V Corps NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| commandDecision | ordered when retreat or collapse seemed imminent ⓘ |
| commander | Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| commanderOfDefendingBrigade | Strong Vincent NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| commemoration |
depicted in historical writings about Gettysburg
ⓘ
featured in the film "Gettysburg" ⓘ featured in the novel "The Killer Angels" ⓘ |
| conflict | American Civil War ⓘ |
| corps | V Corps NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| date | July 2, 1863 ⓘ |
| directionOfAttack | downhill from Little Round Top ⓘ |
| division | 1st Division, V Corps NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| flankPosition | extreme left of the Union Army of the Potomac line ⓘ |
| historicalReputation | iconic moment in Union defense at Gettysburg ⓘ |
| immediateEffect |
captured many Confederate soldiers
ⓘ
pushed Confederate attackers down the slope ⓘ |
| laterRecognition |
celebrated as one of the war’s most famous small-unit actions
ⓘ
widely cited as an example of battlefield leadership ⓘ |
| legacy | contributed to Chamberlain’s later fame and honors ⓘ |
| location |
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Little Round Top NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| maneuverType | downhill bayonet charge ⓘ |
| militaryDoctrineInterest | studied as an example of offensive action from a defensive position ⓘ |
| notableFor |
decisive leadership under fire
ⓘ
use of bayonet charge when ammunition was nearly exhausted ⓘ |
| objective | hold the extreme left of the Union line ⓘ |
| opposingSide | Confederate States Army NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| opposingUnits | 15th Alabama Infantry Regiment NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| orderGivenBy | Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| partOf | Battle of Gettysburg NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| precededBy | repeated Confederate assaults on 20th Maine’s position ⓘ |
| result |
Confederate assault repulsed
ⓘ
Union line on Little Round Top held ⓘ |
| riskLevel | high-risk assault due to low ammunition and exposed advance ⓘ |
| side | Union Army NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| strategicSignificance |
contributed to overall Union victory at Gettysburg
ⓘ
helped secure the Union left flank at Gettysburg ⓘ |
| tacticalInnovation | refusal of the line to form a fishhook-shaped defense ⓘ |
| tacticalSituation |
Union left flank threatened
ⓘ
Union troops low on ammunition ⓘ |
| unitInvolved | 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment NERFINISHED ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
3rd Brigade, 1st Division, V Corps
→
associatedWith
→
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain’s bayonet charge at Little Round Top
ⓘ