Celebrating Medal of Honor Day

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” —John 15:13

25 March is National Medal of Honor Day is an opportunity to recognize the recipients of our nation’s highest military award, and remember their extraordinary sacrifice on behalf of their brothers in arms and in defense of this Country and their Battle Buddies.

The first Medals of Honor were awarded on 25 March 1863 during the Civil War when the Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton presented the first Medals of Honor to six Union Army volunteers.

Today we highlight two recipients, who received their awards for gallantry and bravery over 140 years apart:

Frank Dwight Baldwin (June 26, 1842 – April 22, 1923), born in Michigan, Baldwin is one of only 19 servicemen to receive the Medal of Honor twice. Baldwin received his first award for his actions during the Atlanta Campaign in the Civil War where he led his company in battle, singly entering the Confederate enemy's line, capturing and bringing back 2 commissioned officers and a Georgia regimental flag. He received his second for conspicuous bravery in 1874 during a battle at McCellans Creek, Texas during the Indian Wars where he rescued two female white captives from a numerically superior Indian force. Baldwin holds the distinction of being the first recipient of the Medal of Honor in two different conflicts. He also fought in the Philippines during the Spanish–American War and rose to the rank of major general before retiring.

Leroy A. Petry born 29 July 1979 in Sante Fe, New Mexico while Staff Sergeant/E-6 and member of 2nd Battalion, 75th Infantry Regiment (Ranger) distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy in the vicinity of Paktya Province, Afghanistan, on May 26, 2008. As a Weapons Squad Leader, Staff Sergeant Petry moved to clear the courtyard of a house that potentially contained high-value combatants. While crossing the courtyard, Staff Sergeant Petry and another Ranger were engaged and wounded by automatic weapons fire from enemy fighters. Still under enemy fire, and wounded in both legs, Staff Sergeant Petry led the other Ranger to cover. He then reported the situation and engaged the enemy with a hand grenade, providing suppression as another Ranger moved to his position. The enemy quickly responded by maneuvering closer and throwing grenades. The first grenade explosion knocked his two fellow Rangers to the ground and wounded both with shrapnel.

A second grenade then landed only a few feet away from them. Instantly realizing the danger, Staff Sergeant Petry, unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his safety, deliberately and selflessly moved forward, picked up the grenade, and in an effort to clear the immediate threat, threw the grenade away from his fellow Rangers. As he was releasing the grenade it detonated, amputating his right hand at the wrist and further injuring him with multiple shrapnel wounds. Although picking up and throwing the live grenade grievously wounded Staff Sergeant Petry, his gallant act undeniably saved his fellow Rangers from being severely wounded or killed. Despite the severity of his wounds, Staff Sergeant Petry continued to maintain the presence of mind to place a tourniquet on his right wrist before communicating the situation by radio in order to coordinate support for himself and his fellow wounded Rangers.

William H. Carney - First Black MOH Recipient

Of all the men who wore blue uniforms in the Civil War, none felt more keenly the purpose of his mission than the African American soldier. Every marching step, every swing of a pick and every round fired at Confederate enemies gave him a chance to strike a blow against slavery and prove himself equal to his white comrades.

U.S. Colored Troops were consistently good fighters, performing well in every engagement in which they fought. Even their enemies had to grudgingly admit that fact. One USCT member, William H. Carney, transcended good to become great, and was the first black U.S. soldier to earn the Medal of Honor.

On February 17, 1863, at age 23, Carney heeded the call for African Americans to join a local militia unit, the Morgan Guards, with 45 other volunteers from his hometown of New Bedford, Mass. That unit would later become Company C of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. There was something unique about the new regiment, commanded by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw; it was an all-black unit with the exception of senior officers and a few senior non-commissioned sergeants. The 54th Massachusetts was created to prove that black men could be good soldiers.

Carney was born a slave on February 29, 1840, at Norfolk, Va. His father, also named William, escaped slavery, reaching freedom through the underground railroad. William Sr. then worked hard to buy the freedom of the rest of his family. The free and reunited family settled in New Bedford in the second half of the 1850s. Young William learned to read and write, and by age 15 he was interested in becoming a minister. He gave up his pursuit of the ministry, however, to join the Army. In an 1863 edition of the Abolitionist newspaper The Liberator, Carney stated: “Previous to the formation of colored troops, I had a strong inclination to prepare myself for the ministry; but when the country called for all persons, I could best serve my God serving my country and my oppressed brothers. The sequel in short — I enlisted for the war.”

That career change had momentous impact on Carney’s life, as the 54th Massachusetts had a chance to prove its mettle in the July 18, 1863, Battle of Fort Wagner outside of Charleston, S.C. During the fight, the 54th made heroic attacks on the garrison, and Carney’s bravery earned him a promotion to sergeant and the U.S. military’s most prestigious award.

Fort Wagner on Morris Island guarded the entrance to the harbor of Charleston. Shaw and the 600 men of the 54th Massachusetts would spearhead the federal assault from a slim strip of sand on the east side of the fort, which faced the Atlantic Ocean. The 54th burrowed into a sand dune about 1,000 yards from Fort Wagner. Behind it was the 6th Connecticut. Federal land and sea artillery bombarded the fort all day long. By nightfall, orders were passed down and the 54th stood up, dressed ranks and attacked in two wings of five companies each.

As the men advanced they were immediately hit by a barrage of canister, musketry and shelling from the fort. A bullet struck the 54th’s color sergeant, and as the wounded man faltered, Carney threw down his gun, seized the flag and moved to the front of the 54th’s assaulting ranks. He soon found himself alone, on the fort’s wall, with bodies of dead and wounded comrades all around him. He knelt down to gather himself for action, still firmly holding the flag while bullets and shell fragments peppered the sand around him.

Carney surveyed the battlefield and noticed that other Union regiments had attacked to his right, drawing away the focal point of the Rebel resistance. To his left he saw a large force of soldiers advancing down the ramparts of the fort. At first he thought they might be were Union forces. Flashes of musketry soon doomed his hopes. The oncoming troops were Confederates. He wound the colors around the flagpole, made his way to a low protective wall and moved along it to a ditch. When Carney had passed over the ditch on his way to the fort, it was dry. But now it was waist deep with water.

He seemed to be alone, surrounded by the wreckage of his regiment. Carney wanted to help the wounded, but enemy fire pinned him down. Crouching in the water, he figured his best chance was to plot a course back to Federal lines and make a break for it. Carney rose to get a better look. It was a fateful move. As he later wrote: “The bullet I now carry in my body came whizzing like a mosquito, and I was shot. Not being prostrated by the shot, I continued my course, yet had not gone far before I was struck by a second shot.”

Despite carrying two slugs in his body, Carney kept moving. Shortly after being hit the second time he saw another Union soldier coming in his direction. When they were within earshot, Carney hailed him, asking who he was. The Yank replied he was with the 100th New York, and asked if Carney was wounded. Carney said he had indeed been shot, and then flinched as a third shot grazed his arm.

The 100th soldier came to his aid and helped him move farther to the rear. “Now then,” said the New York soldier, “let me take the colors and carry them for you.” Carney, though, would not consent to that, no matter how battered he was. He explained that he would not be willing to give the colors to anyone who was not a member of the 54th Massachusetts. The pair struggled on. They did not get far before yet another bullet hit Carney, grazing him in the head. The two men finally managed to stumble to their own lines. Carney was taken to the rear and turned over to medical personnel. Throughout his ordeal, he held on to the colors. Cheers greeted him when Carney finally staggered into the ranks of the 54th. Before collapsing, he said, “Boys, the old flag never touched the ground!”

During the battle, Company C of the 54th Massachusetts was able to, for a short time, capture a small section of Fort Wagner. The 54th suffered 272 killed, wounded or missing out of the 600 in the battle. Colonel Shaw was among the dead. Total Union casualties were 1,515 out of about 5,000 in the assault force, while the Confederates had 174 casualties out of about 1,800 defenders. Although the Union forces were repulsed and had to lay siege to Fort Wagner, which the Confederates abandoned two months later, the 54th was widely hailed for its bravery. Like a pebble dropped into a puddle, the regiment’s heroism had a ripple effect, spurring thousands of other black men to join the Union Army. Even Abraham Lincoln noted that the 54th’s bravery at Wagner was a key development that helped secure final victory for the North.

William Carney recovered from the four wounds he received at Fort Wagner, and word soon spread of his unselfish actions. When Carney’s commanders heard about his conduct, he was promoted to sergeant. Later in the war, the 54th fought a rear-guard action covering a retreat at the Battle of Olustee, but Sergeant Carney could not participate in that engagement due to the lingering effects of his wounds. Because of his injuries he was discharged from the Army a little more than a year after the battle, on June 30, 1864.

Carney subsequently married Susannah Williams, also of New Bedford, on October 11, 1865. They had one child who later became an accomplished music teacher of the New Bedford area. In 1866 William Carney was appointed superintendent of streetlights for the city of New Bedford. He then went to California to seek his fortune but returned to New Bedford in 1869 and took a job as a letter carrier for the Postal Service. He worked at that job for 32 years before retiring. After retirement he was employed as a messenger at the Massachusetts State House, where in 1908 he would be fatally injured in an accident that trapped his leg in an elevator.

William H. Carney’s valor at Fort Wagner was honored on May 23, 1900, when he was awarded the Medal of Honor. That was almost 40 years after he so proudly served with the 54th Massachusetts Regiment. He was the first black soldier to receive the award. When asked about his heroic actions, he simply said, “I only did my duty.”

Article from the Military Times

Frederick Douglass’ friend named Abraham Lincoln

February is Black History month and it is fitting to post an article on President Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. One who signed the Emancipation Proclamation and the other a tireless leader in the black community and advocate for Black-American Union soldiers.

Today it seems unthinkable but in August 1863 — the summer of Gettysburg and Vicksburg and the bloody New York draft riots — anybody could walk into the White House and ask to meet the president. Abraham Lincoln’s advisers warned him not to welcome strangers during wartime but he persisted. He called these meetings “taking a public opinion bath.”

On the sweltering morning of August 10, one of Lincoln’s uninvited visitors was Frederick Douglass, a tall, burly black man dressed in a dark suit and a high-collared white shirt. He had no appointment. He simply walked in off the street, handed his business card to a secretary and joined the people waiting to see the president.

“They were white,” he recalled later, “and as I was the only dark spot among them, I expected to have to wait at least half a day. I had heard of men waiting a week.” Born a slave in Maryland in 1818, Douglass secretly taught himself to read and write, and in 1838, he escaped and fled north to become the most famous black man of his times, an eloquent abolitionist orator, writer and newspaper publisher. He was also a radical who repeatedly criticized Lincoln for moving too slowly to free the slaves. But when the president issued the Emancipation Proclamation in late 1862, Douglass rejoiced and began recruiting black men to fight in the Union Army: “Men of Color, To Arms!”

On this day, though, he’d come to Washington to protest the Army’s discrimination against black soldiers. Douglass made his case to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton that morning then walked to the White House to see the president. He settled in for a long wait but within a few minutes, he heard an aide holler his name.

“Mr. Douglass!” As Douglass elbowed his way up the crowded staircase to the president’s office, he heard somebody grumbling, “Damn it, I knew they would let the nigger through.” Douglass ignored the slur and entered the office. Lincoln stood up and held out his hand. Douglass shook it and began to introduce himself. The president cut him off. “Mr. Douglass, I know you. I have read about you,” he said. “Sit down. I am glad to see you.”

The two men sat and Lincoln said he’d read a speech Douglass had delivered in early 1862, lambasting the president for his “tardy, hesitating and vacillating policy” regarding emancipation. Lincoln recalled the attack without anger and admitted that he could justifiably be criticized as slow to move against slavery. But on the charge of vacillating, the president pled not guilty. “I do not think that charge can be sustained,” Lincoln said. “I think it cannot be shown that once I have taken a position, I have ever retreated from it.”

Douglass was amazed at the president’s candor and delighted that Lincoln was speaking to him as an equal — a courtesy that white people, even abolitionists, did not always grant him. “Mr. President, I am recruiting colored troops,” Douglass said, quickly adding that his efforts were hampered by the Army’s discriminatory practices. Black soldiers were paid only about half of what white troops earned, he said, and were not promoted no matter how bravely they fought.

Lincoln listened, then sat silently for a long moment. Finally, he responded by giving his radical visitor a gentle lesson in practical politics. The reason he acted so slowly, he explained, is that a leader cannot get too far ahead of his people.

“Mr. Douglass, you know that it was with great difficulty that I could get the colored soldier — or get the colored men — into the Army at all,” Lincoln said. “You know the prejudices existing against them. You know the doubt that was felt in regard to their ability as soldiers. It was necessary at first that we should make some discrimination against them: They were on trial.”

Moreover, Lincoln said, black men had a greater incentive to enlist than whites did — they were fighting for their freedom. But as black troops continued to prove their courage to the nation, he added, they would eventually receive equal pay. “I assure you, Mr. Douglass, that in the end they shall have the same pay as white soldiers.”

As for the promotion of blacks, Lincoln promised that he would sign any promotion recommended by the secretary of war. Douglass didn’t agree with everything the president said — he saw no reason for the continued pay gap — but he was impressed with Lincoln’s honesty. He brought up reports that Confederate troops had been executing the black soldiers they’d captured, and he thanked Lincoln for his recent proclamation promising to retaliate against the executions. “In case any colored soldiers are murdered in cold blood,” Douglass said, “you should retaliate in kind.”

Again, Lincoln heard Douglass out. Again, he felt compelled to disagree. “Once begun, I don’t know where such a measure would stop,” he said. Lincoln had, Douglass later recalled, a “tearful look in his eye and a quiver in his voice” when he spoke of his aversion to retaliatory executions. “If I could get hold of the men that murdered your troops — murdered our prisoners of war — I would execute them,” Lincoln said, “but I cannot take men that may not have had anything to do with this murdering of our soldiers and execute them.”

Before leaving the office, Douglass showed Lincoln the document he’d received when visiting Stanton that morning — a pass proclaiming him to be “a loyal free man” and “entitled to travel unmolested.” Lincoln laid the paper on a table, wrote, “I concur” and signed it. “Douglass,” Lincoln said as his guest departed, “never come to Washington without calling on me.”

Douglass left with a new fondness for Lincoln: “I was impressed with his entire freedom from popular prejudice against the colored race.” Four months later, Douglass addressed an abolitionist group in Philadelphia. “Perhaps you may want to know how the President of the United States received a black man at the White House,” Douglass said. “I will tell you how he received me — just as you have seen one gentleman receive another, with a hand and a voice well-balanced between a kind cordiality and a respectful reserve. I tell you, I felt big there!”

The two men met twice more. Their final encounter occurred at a White House reception after Lincoln’s second inauguration. Policemen stopped Douglass at the door and told him that blacks were not allowed to enter. Douglass protested, then sent word to the president that he was outside. Within minutes, he was admitted.

“When Mr. Lincoln saw me, his countenance lighted up,” Douglass recalled, “and he said in a voice which was heard all around: ‘Here comes my friend Douglass.’” The president shook his friend’s hand. “I saw you in the crowd today listening to my inaugural address,” he said. Then he asked Douglass, one of America’s finest orators, what he thought of the speech. “There is no man’s opinion that I value more than yours.”

Col. Robert Gould Shaw's Sword Recovered

A Sword Belonging To Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, who led All-Black 54th Massachusetts Voluntary Infantry's doomed attack on Fort Wagner, South Carolina, in 1863, was recovered recently after being lost to history for more than 150 years. The British-made sword carried into battle by Col. Robert Gould Shaw was stolen after he was killed during the 54th Massachusetts Voluntary Infantry's doomed attack on Fort Wagner, South Carolina, in 1863, a battle portrayed in the 1989 Oscar-winning movie "Glory."

It was found recently in the home of one of Shaw's distant relatives and is scheduled to go on display at the Massachusetts Historical Society on Tuesday, the anniversary of his death. "I got goosebumps when I saw it," said Anne Bentley, the organization's curator of arts and artifacts. Society President Dennis Fiori called it the "holy grail of Civil War swords."

The weapon's whereabouts was one of the war's great mysteries. After Shaw -- who, like all officers in black units, was white -- was killed, his body was stripped of clothing and belongings by Confederate soldiers. The sword was recovered about two years later from a Confederate officer shortly after the war ended and returned to his parents in Boston. Shaw had no children of his own, so the sword ended up in the hands of his sister, Susanna Minturn. That's where the trail ended.

It is believed Minturn gave it to her grandson when he was a teen. The sword was found in the attic of a home north of Boston by the sister's great-grandchildren late last year as they were cleaning out the house following the death of their mother. The family gave the sword to the historical society earlier this year. The family had previously donated a different sword that Shaw carried when he served in the 2nd Massachusetts regiment before he was given command of the 54th.

Bentley, and Brenda Lawson, the society's vice president for collections, were pretty sure they had the Fort Wagner sword because it was inscribed with the initials RGS. "I looked at it and said, 'Brenda this is it,' " Bentley said. But in their field, gut feelings are not enough. So they did a little sleuthing and found that the sword's serial number matched the records of English swordsmith Henry Wilkinson. The weapon is tarnished and has some rust on the blade. There's also some wear on the handle even though Shaw acquired it only about a month before his death and used it in battle just twice. That's because it likely got used by a Confederate officer for the remainder of the war.

"You can imagine what a prize that would be for a Confederate soldier," Bentley said. "It was a far superior sword than you could get in the Confederacy at that time." The sword will be on display in an exhibit with several other Shaw artifacts until September. Lawson is just glad that Minturn's descendants wanted to make the sword a public resource and not sell it. "Patriotism runs deep in this family," she said.

Article from the Associated Press

Generals U.S. Grant and Robert E. Lee - 10 Fascinating Facts

The names Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee are connected through their Civil War bond and the historic surrender, 150 years ago yesterday, at Appomattox Court House. But how much did Lee and Grant have in common?


Both were noted military commanders and graduates of West Point. Beyond that here is a look at two legendary figures and their different paths to that day in 1865 that started the end of the Civil War.


1. Robert E. Lee was among the bluest of Virginia blue bloods. The Lees were synonymous with the state and colony of Virginia. His father, “Light Horse” Harry Lee, fought with George Washington and gave the eulogy at Washington’s funeral.


2. Ulysses S. Grant was not a blue blood. Grant grew up in Ohio and his father was a tanner. His grandfather also fought in the Revolutionary War at Bunker Hill.


3. The family of Lee’s future wife didn’t think he was good enough for her. When Lee made his intentions known to marry Mary Anna Custis, his future father-in-law objected, because Light Horse Harry Lee had fallen on hard times. Eventually, the Custis family relented. Mary Anna Custis was also Martha Washington’s great-granddaughter.


4. Ulysses wasn’t Grant’s first name. The future general and president was born Hiram Ulysses Grant in Point Pleasant, Ohio. A mistake on his application to West Point changed his name to Ulysses S. Grant.


5.    Robert E. Lee graduated second in his class at West Point. He was called the “Marble Model” because of his drive and focus at the military academy.


6. Grant was an average student at West Point. Coming from humble backgrounds, Grant struggled with some courses at the academy, but he astounded his classmates with this ability as a horseman.


7. Lee’s star was continually rising in the U.S. military. First as an engineer and then as a tactical commander under Winfield Scott in the Mexican-American War, Lee was called “the best soldier” in that conflict by Scott. In 1852, Lee was named as superintendent of West Point.


8. Grant struggled with his first military career. Although he also fought with distinction in the Mexican-American War, Grant was moved to several military posts and resigned from the Army in 1854 without explanation.


9. Lee was briefly in the Union army at the Civil War’s start. After the war started on April 12, 1861, Lee was offered command of the Union army. But he resigned his Union army commission on April 20, and he accepted command of Confederate troops in Virginia.


10. Grant had to earn his military place in the Civil War. He was first appointed to train a volunteer regiment in Illinois that needed discipline. After tackling more difficult tasks, Grant won the Union’s first victory of war at Fort Donelson, and he became a national figure known as “Unconditional Surrender” Grant.


Article by the National Constitution Center (NCC) Staff, posted on Yahoo.  The NCC posts great article all the time - consider book marking their site for your daily reading.

Joshua Chamberlain - Profile in Leadership

Joshua Chamberlain Was A Tower Of Union Force

An excerpt from an article entitled: "Gut It Out: His Little Round Top rush riddled the rebels" by Jason Ma, INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY

Honor and genius converged in Joshua Chamberlain to produce one of the unlikeliest heroes of the Civil War. A professor of languages at Bowdoin College in Maine, he gave up a comfortable life in academia to fight in what would be the bloodiest war in U.S. history — and to battle with unusual distinction at Gettysburg 148 years ago this week. “He truly did serve with distinction throughout the war,” said Glenn LaFantasie, a professor of Civil War history at Western Kentucky University.

Chamberlain (1828-1914) was said to be fluent in 10 languages, including Arabic, Hebrew and Syriac, an Aramaic dialect. As the academic year wound down in the summer of 1862, he weighed an offer from Bowdoin to send him to Europe , where he could use his Greek, Latin, French, Italian, German and Spanish. But with the war dragging on and casualties rising, he offered his services to Maine’s governor. Chamberlain made it clear he thought volunteers needed to step forward to fight. He also suggested he could help recruit his former students. “I fear, this war, so costly of blood and treasure, will not cease until the men of the North are willing to leave good positions, and sacrifice the dearest personal interests, to rescue our country from desolation, and defend the national existence against treachery at home and jeopardy abroad,” he wrote in a July 1862 letter to the governor. “This war
must be ended, with a swift and strong hand; and every man ought to come forward and ask to be placed at his proper post.”

The transition from college professor to soldier seemed to come easily. Within a year of his enlistment, Chamberlain was promoted to colonel, in command of the 20th Maine Regiment. Chamberlain is perhaps best known for his exploits in the southern Pennsylvania town, and in 1893 received the Medal of Honor for preventing a key hill from falling into Confederate hands. From the Union’s left flank at Little Round Top, the 20th Maine held off repeated attacks from the 15th Alabama on July 2, 1863.

To take a tougher defensive stance, Chamberlain ordered his men to array themselves into an inverted V, a maneuver called “refusing the line.” Reshuffling his troops in the thick of combat, without opening a gap in his lines, was daunting, especially for someone with minimal military experience leading troops who were hardly battle tested.

But the Mainers’ numbers were growing thinner, and their ammunition was running out. Seeing that his troops couldn’t defend against another assault, Chamberlain chose to go on the offense and ordered a bayonet charge. His men took the rebels by surprise and quickly overran them.

While Chamberlain’s heroics at Gettysburg grab the most attention among Civil War followers, he saw even more combat during the Siege of Petersburg from the summer of 1864 to the spring of 1865. Just south of the Confederate capital Richmond, Va., The Siege of Petersburg became the scene of grinding trench warfare as the South desperately tried to hold off defeat. It was there that Chamberlain’s habit of leading from the front nearly got him killed. Despite being a brigade commander, he continued to put himself in danger, and his troops revered him for it.

During a battle on June 18, 1864, Chamberlain was shot through the hip. Instead of falling, he drew his sword and propped himself up to continue rallying his men. After several minutes, he collapsed from blood loss. He was expected to die, and Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant gave him a battlefield promotion to brigadier general. Somehow he survived, then took command of the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, V Corps. Ready for the knockout blow, he led an attack in March 1865 on a rebel fortification.

Chamberlain was picked to accept the official Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 12, 1865. It was a high honor and an indication of how much
respect his fellow officers had for him. By then, he had been wounded six times and had the rank of brevet major general, a special authorization to wear a second star. As the defeated filed past the victors to surrender their weapons, Chamberlain ordered his men to carry arms — a gesture where the musket is held by the right hand as though marching and rendering a salute of respect — to honor what he later called the “embodiment of manhood” passing before him. “Men whom neither toils and sufferings, nor the fact of death, nor disaster, nor hopelessness could bend from their resolve,” he wrote in his memoirs. For his magnanimous behavior that day and subsequent admiration for his former adversaries, Chamberlain was revered almost as much in the South as he was in the North,

After the war, Chamberlain thought about staying in uniform, but decided to leave
because he would’ve lost his rank in a downsized Army, LaFantasie says. Chamberlin continued to correspond with wartime comrades. He missed the military, but tried his hand in politics, serving four one-year terms as Maine ’s Republican governor from 1867 to 1871, and although was not highly regarded as a Governor, Chamberlain stayed popular with the public as lawmakers resented the rigidity that served him well in the war.

After leaving office, he returned to Bowdoin to serve as its president from 1871 to 1883. He saw himself as a reformer and modernized the curriculum with new science and engineering courses. Chamberlain also tried to make military drill mandatory among the students, but they refused and boycotted it. Ever the commander, he expelled them. He later offered them a chance to return, as long as they performed drill. All but three came back. He once described his experience as president “about the most thankless, wearing and wasteful life that can be undertaken.”

Afterward, Chamberlain handled other public jobs, including commander of Maine ’s
state militia. All the while, he never gave up on returning to combat. Despite lingering pain from his Civil War wounds, he tried to volunteer for the Spanish-American War in 1898 at almost age 70, but was rejected. In 1914, he finally succumbed to his wounds and died.

Indeed, his Confederate counterpart at Appomattox called him “one of the knightliest soldiers of the Federal Army.”

One of the best books you can ever read is "Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara, detailing Gettysburg and Joshua Chamberlain's role.