In the early days of the summer of 1863, Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was not far removed from the Bowdoin College classrooms where he taught modern languages. In those same halls, Chamberlain had studied logic & natural theology at the feet of Calvin Stowe and had, most assuredly, read the contemporary work of Professor Stowe's wife, Harriet Beecher. Having graduated from Bowdoin with a Bachelors of Divinity, this 33 year-old father of three was not a prime candidate for the military but, in the conflict at hand, Chamberlain considered it his duty to fight.
Late in 1862, Chamberlain sought and secured a position as an officer in the 20th Maine. Now, the beginning of July found Joshua just a short march away from the Pennsylvania town of Gettysburg and confronted with a touchy problem within the ranks of his own little part of the Union Army.
It seems that just a short time ago, a group of 120 Maine soldiers had been delivered at bayonet-point to Chamberlain's command. Soldiers who were described as "mutinous" and had refused to continue to fight - - having been led to believe by an unscrupulous recruiter that their enlistment was for two years, while getting their signatures on 3-year papers. Now, the two years were up and, understandably, the soldiers were in no way receptive to explanations.
And so they were marched to Chamberlain's 20th Maine with specific instruction that any of them, refusing to do his duty, could be summarily executed. The 1993 movie, "Gettysburg", based on Michael Shaara's novel and directed by Ronald F. Maxwell, accurately captures the message and manners of Chamberlain in the following clip. Take a look:
At Gettysburg, Chamberlain's 20th Maine goes on to defend the Union Army's left flank on Little Round Top while being decidedly outnumbered. And, having expended their ammunition while repelling repeated attacks, they finally secured that position with a nearly suicidal bayonet charge to chase the Rebel attackers from the field. Oh! As for the deserters - - all but two picked up their muskets and fought. And it is for this stand on that hill that Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain is most remembered. But there is much more to this man.
Chamberlain would finish out the war as a brigadier general, a field promotion given by Ulysses S. Grant himself - - so that Joshua could die at that rank after having been shot through both hips at Petersburg in June of 1864. But Chamberlain recovered from that wound to lead his men through a total of 20 battles and numerous other skirmishes, hit six times by bullets or shell fragments, having his horse shot under him five times. His final battle wound was on March 29, 1865, when he was shot just below the heart, having the bullet deflect off a leather case of field orders in his breast pocket, crack two ribs and bruise his arm as it left his body. Chamberlain continued to lead his men and, two days later, drove a wedge into the Confederate line that permitted Union forces to fold back Robert E. Lee's flank and, eventually force the southern general to flee westward in an attempt to save his army. Then, although exhausted by four days of fighting in the mud, Chamberlain and his men out-marched the Rebels to reinforce Union cavalry and cut off any hope of Confederate escape. So impressed was Grant by this Professor/General's leadership in this final scene of this epic war, that Grant selected Chamberlain, though he was out-ranked by many others, to receive the official Confederate surrender on April 12 at Appomattox Court House.
Here's how Civil War Historian, James M. McPherson, describes it in the introduction to Chamberlain's book, "Passing of the Armies":
"Mindful of the symbolic significance of this ceremony, Chamberlain determined to make a gesture that turned out to be of equal importance to Grant's generous surrender terms in binding up the nation's wounds... Chamberlain had placed his division of Union veterans in three lines to receive the surrender. Leading the Confederate troops as they approached these lines was John B. Gordon of Georgia,... First in line of march behind Gordon was the famed Stonewall Brigade, five regiments with 210 ragged survivors of four years' carnage. As Gordon approached at the the head of these men with "his chin drooped to his breast, down-hearted and dejected in appearance," Chamberlain gave a brief order, a bugle call rang out, and the Union soldiers shifted their rifles from "order arms" to "carry arms" - the salute of honor."
Though criticized in the North for this show of respect, Chamberlain recognized "the embodiment of manhood" in these ragged brothers of battle "with eyes looking level into ours"... and asked "Was not such manhood to be welcomed back into the Union so tested and assured?"
And so began the reconciliation of our nation.
We can learn much from godly men like Chamberlain. But, to keep it simple, I want to pull out just four biblical principles, displayed in our short biography this day:
1. Compassion - He could shoot them "but you know I won't do that." Chamberlain felt for these men and wanted to help them.
2. Fortitude - Don't ever mistake compassion for weakness. "Whether you fight or not is up to you. Whether you come along, well...you're coming."
3. Self-Sacrifice - He recognized that their purpose was not for themselves but "to set other men free."
4. Forgiveness - Chamberlain told the men that if they joined in the fight "nothing more will be said."
These are not virtues that come naturally to us - - they come supernaturally, through the power of a personal walk with God, through Jesus Christ.
Paul calls it "The Ministry of Reconciliation" in his second letter to the Corinthians (5:18). The Apostle alludes to these qualities in verses 11 - 21 of that same chapter. As we grow as men & women, according to God's design, let's make it our goal, enabled by God, to display these traits.
That's the Challenge!
And
This is Challenge Pointe.
Semper Fi!
Doug
