Includes all of Chamberlain's known wartime lettersShows his transformation from college professor to major generalOriginal writings placed into context by historian Mark NesbittIn July 1862 Joshua Chamberlain, a family man and respected professor at Bowdoin College in Maine, joined the fight to preserve the Union. His wartime service was exemplary; he is perhaps best remembered for his outstanding leadership at Gettysburg. At all times, however, he fought bravely and well, even at Petersburg in 1864 where he received the wound that was to torment him until his death in 1914.Throughout his time in the field, Chamberlain wrote letters of recommendation to his superiors, letters of condolence to the families of soldiers killed while under his command, and letters to his family at home. All are well written, revealing the professor's educated background and elegant prose. Nesbitt's notes set the scene, place Chamberlain's writings within the larger context of the war, and make clear the General's sterling character and his sacrifices for the country he loved.

A definitive collection of postwar letters by the great military leader and hero of the Battle of Gettysburg offers important insights into understanding his later years, his perspective on various campaigns and battles, his role in chronicling the Civil War, and his views on education, politics, race relations, and other issues.

Product Description: Written by one of the Union army’s most celebrated officers, The Passing of the Armies offers a remarkable first-hand account of the final campaign of the Army of the Potomac. In his gripping memoir, first published in 1915, General Joshua Lawrence

Product Description: An unlikely hero to the Army of the Potomac, college professor Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain led the 20th Maine Division in all the fiercest battles of the Eastern theatre, winning the Medal of Honor for his heroic leadership at Gettysburg...read more