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Thomas Davee Chamberlain (April 29, 1841 – August 12, 1896) was an officer in the 20th Maine Infantry
20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment

The 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment was a military unit of the United States Army during the American Civil War, most famous for its defense of Little Round Top at the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg....
 during the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
, the brother of Union general Joshua L. Chamberlain, the commanding officer of the 20th Maine Infantry.

as D. Chamberlain was born in Brewer, Maine, the youngest of five children. Young Tom grew up on the family farm in Brewer with his four older siblings: Joshua Lawrence (born in 1828), Horace Beriah (1834), Sarah Brastow (1836) and John Calhoun (1838).






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Thomas Davee Chamberlain (April 29, 1841 – August 12, 1896) was an officer in the 20th Maine Infantry
20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment

The 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment was a military unit of the United States Army during the American Civil War, most famous for its defense of Little Round Top at the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg....
 during the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
, the brother of Union general Joshua L. Chamberlain, the commanding officer of the 20th Maine Infantry.

Early life

Thomas D. Chamberlain was born in Brewer, Maine, the youngest of five children. Young Tom grew up on the family farm in Brewer with his four older siblings: Joshua Lawrence (born in 1828), Horace Beriah (1834), Sarah Brastow (1836) and John Calhoun (1838). Their upbringing seems to have been strict and religious but also loving. Thomas was a mischievous and likable boy - his brother called him a "little rogue" - and, as the baby of the family, he was his mother's favorite. Thomas was the only son not to attend college. Whether this was due to lack of intelligence, application or inclination, is unknown. By his mid-teens Thomas was working as a clerk in a grocery store in Bangor.

Civil War service

Chamberlain's great-grandfathers were soldiers in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , also known as the American War of Independence, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and Thirteen Colonies on the North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers....
 and his grandfather had served during the War of 1812
War of 1812

The War of 1812, between the United States of America and the British Empire , was fought from 1812 to 1815.There were several immediate stated causes for the U.S....
. His father also had served during the abortive Aroostook War
Aroostook War

The Aroostook War was an undeclared confrontation in 1838-39 between the United States and Great Britain over the international boundary between British North America and Maine....
 of 1839. His brother Joshua was also in the army.

In 1862, Chamberlain joined the Union Army
Union Army

The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S....
. His motives were mixed— personal, patriotic, and religious.

He was soon placed in the newly formed 20th Maine Infantry along with his brother Joshua, who was made lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, lieutenant colonel is a field officer United States Military Officer military rank just above the rank of Major and just below the rank of Colonel ....
 of the regiment.

The 20th Maine regiment marched to the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam

The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern United States soil....
, but did not participate in the fighting. They fought at the Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg

The Battle of Fredericksburg, fought in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, from December 11 to December 15, 1862, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate States Army Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major general Ambrose E....
, suffering light casualties in the assaults on Marye's Heights, but they were forced to spend a miserable night on the freezing battlefield among the many wounded and dead from other regiments. They missed the Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville

The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, fought near the village of Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia, from April 30 to May 6, 1863....
 in May 1863 due to an outbreak of smallpox
Smallpox

Smallpox is an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning spotted, or varus, meaning "pimple"....
 in their ranks, which kept them on guard duty in the rear. In June 1863, Joshua was promoted to colonel
Colonel (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, Colonel is a senior field officer United States Military Officer military rank just above the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and just below the rank of Brigadier General ....
 of the regiment, after the promotion of its first colonel, Adelbert Ames
Adelbert Ames

Adelbert Ames was an United States sailor, soldier, and politician. He served with distinction as a Union Army general during the American Civil War, was a politician in Reconstruction era of the United States Mississippi, and then served as a United States Army general during the Spanish-American War....
, to brigade command. Thomas Chamberlain was involved in most of the other battles in which the 20th Maine fought, most notably the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg , fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is frequently cited as the war's Turning point of the American Civil War....
.

The Battle of Gettysburg

During the defense of Little Round Top
Little Round Top

Little Round Top is the smaller of two rocky hills south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was the site of an unsuccessful assault by Confederate States Army troops against the Union Army left flank on July 2, 1863, the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg....
, the 20th Maine came under heavy attack from the Confederate
Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was a military organization whose primary mission was to provide the necessary forces and capabilities to support the National Security and defense of the Confederate States of America during its brief existence from 1861 to 1865....
 15th Alabama regiment, part of the division led by Maj. Gen. John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood

John Bell Hood was a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness....
, and after about 3-4 hours of fighting the 20th Maine completely ran out of ammunition. Chamberlain's brother Joshua recognized the dire circumstances and ordered his left wing to respond to the rebels by charging downhill with fixed bayonets, thus ending the Confederate attack on the hill. The 20th Maine and the 83rd Pennsylvania together captured over 400 soldiers from the attacking Confederate forces. Joshua was slightly wounded in the foot by a spent bullet. Thomas was unhurt, except for "several scratches". As a result of their valiant defense of the hill, the Chamberlain brothers, Joshua Chamberlain especially, and the 20th Maine gained a great reputation and they were the subject of many publications and stories.

After Gettysburg

After Gettysburg, the major battles in which Thomas Chamberlain and the 20th Maine were involved were the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania, was the second major battle in Lieutenant general Ulysses S....
 and the Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg

The Richmond-Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War....
. At the Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg

The Richmond-Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War....
, the 20th Maine was in reserve, while Joshua (against his better judgment) led his Pennsylvania Bucktail brigade in a charge on a section of the Confederate defenses known as Rives's Salient. Turning to direct his troops, Joshua was struck by a minié ball
Minié ball

The Mini? ball is a type of muzzleloader rifle bullet named after co-developer, Claude Etienne Mini?, inventor of the Mini? rifle. It came to prominence in the Crimean War and American Civil War....
, which entered just below his right hip, nicked his bladder
Urinary bladder

In anatomy, the urinary bladder is a solid, muscle, and distensible organ that sits on the pelvic floor in mammals. It is the organ that collects urine excreted by the kidneys prior to disposal by urination....
 and urethra
Urethra

In anatomy, the urethra is a tube which connects the urinary bladder to the outside of the body. The urethra has an excretory function in both sexes to pass urine to the outside, and also a reproductive function in the male, as a passage for semen....
, and stopped at his left hip. Such a devastating wound should have been fatal, and when he arrived at the field hospital, three miles behind the lines, his life was feared over. Thomas Chamberlain, back with his regiment, eventually heard the news. He and the surgeon
Surgeon

In medicine, a surgeon is a person who performs surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such to remove a diseased organ or to repair a tear or breakage....
 of the 20th Maine, Dr. Abner O. Shaw, went to the hospital where Joshua was dying. As Thomas waited, Dr. Shaw, with Dr. Morris W. Townsend of the 44th New York, worked all night to try to save Joshua Chamberlain's life. Thirty-five years later, Joshua Chamberlain wrote that, after the surgeons had finished: "Tom stood over me like a brother, and such a one as he was." Remarkably, Col. Chamberlain survived to enjoy his "on the spot" promotion to brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)

A brigadier general in the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, is a 1 star rank general officer, with the U.S....
, although he never returned to full fitness. Many Joshua Chamberlain biographers say that "his (Joshua's) life was saved through the activity of his brother, Thomas."

Appomattox Campaign

After Petersburg, Thomas Chamberlain and the 20th Maine were involved in the Battle of Five Forks
Battle of Five Forks

The Battle of Five Forks was fought on April 1, 1865, southwest of Petersburg, Virginia, in Dinwiddie County, during the Appomattox Campaign of the American Civil War....
 and the Battle of Appomattox Courthouse
Battle of Appomattox Courthouse

The Battle of Appomattox Courthouse was the final engagement of Confederate States Army General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia before it surrender to the Union Army under Lieutenant General Ulysses S....
. At the end of the war, the 20th Maine marched from Appomattox, Virginia
Appomattox, Virginia

Appomattox is a town in Appomattox County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,761 at the United States Census, 2000. It is the county seat of Appomattox County, Virginia....
, on May 2, reaching Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....
, on May 12, where it was then finally mustered out of service on July 16, 1865.

Postbellum

After the war, despite his distinguished military record, Chamberlain drifted from one job to another. Chamberlain suffered from alcoholism
Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions to describe the detrimental effects of alcohol intake.In common and historic usage, alcoholism refers to any condition that results in the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages despite health problems and negative social consequences....
 as well as severe lung disease and heart disease
Heart disease

Heart disease is an umbrella term for a variety for different diseases affecting the heart. As of 2007, it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, killing one person every 34 seconds in the United States alone....
.

Death

Thomas D. Chamberlain died at age 55 in Bangor, Maine. He is buried at Castine, Maine
Castine, Maine

Castine is a New England town in Hancock County, Maine, Maine, United States. The population was 1,343 at the 2000 United States Census. Castine is the home of Maine Maritime Academy, a four-year institution that graduates officers and engineers for the United States Merchant Marine and marine related industries....
.

In Popular Media

Chamberlain was a character in Michael Shaara
Michael Shaara

Michael Shaara was an American writer of science fiction, sports fiction, and historical fiction. He was born to Italian immigrant parents in Jersey City, New Jersey, graduated from Rutgers University in 1951, and served as an airborne infantry officer in the Korean War....
's Pulitzer Prize-winning historical novel, The Killer Angels
The Killer Angels

The Killer Angels is a historical novel by Michael Shaara that was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1975 in literature. The book tells the story of four days of the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War: June 29, 1863, as the troops of both the United States of America and the Confederate States of America move into bat...
. He was also portrayed in the movie based on that novel, Gettysburg
Gettysburg (film)

Gettysburg is a 1993 film that dramatizes the decisive Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War. It was directed by Ronald F. Maxwell, who also wrote the screenplay, a close adaptation of Michael Shaara's 1974 novel The Killer Angels, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1975....
, played by actor C. Thomas Howell
C. Thomas Howell

Christopher Thomas Howell is an American actor. He came to media attention for having a part in the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and is best known for having starred in the films The Outsiders and The Hitcher , as well as Soul Man and Red Dawn....
, who repeated that role in the Gods and Generals
Gods and Generals (film)

Gods and Generals is a 2003 film based on the novel, Gods and Generals, by Jeffrey Shaara. It is considered a prequel to the 1993 film Gettysburg , which was based on The Killer Angels, a novel by Michael Shaara, Jeff Shaara's father....
 prequel, based on the novel, Gods and Generals
Gods and Generals

Gods and Generals is a novel which serves as a prequel to Michael Shaara's 1974 Pulitzer Prize-winning work about the Battle of Gettysburg, The Killer Angels....
, written by Jeff Shaara, Michael Shaara
Michael Shaara

Michael Shaara was an American writer of science fiction, sports fiction, and historical fiction. He was born to Italian immigrant parents in Jersey City, New Jersey, graduated from Rutgers University in 1951, and served as an airborne infantry officer in the Korean War....
's son.

Further reading

  • Michael, Shaara, The Killer Angels
    The Killer Angels

    The Killer Angels is a historical novel by Michael Shaara that was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1975 in literature. The book tells the story of four days of the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War: June 29, 1863, as the troops of both the United States of America and the Confederate States of America move into bat...
    , Random House, 1974, ISBN 1586635247.


External links

  • The 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment
    20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment

    The 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment was a military unit of the United States Army during the American Civil War, most famous for its defense of Little Round Top at the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg....
  • Retrieved 2008-07-03