Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain Trivia Quiz

Answer: 1828

Joshua was the eldest child of Joshua and Sarah Chamberlain, and was born September 8, 1828 in Brewer, Maine.

Answer: Bowdoin College

Joshua graduated from Bowdoin College in 1852. He was a member of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity, and of the Phi Beta Kappa academic society. He would later teach rhetoric at Bowdoin College.

Answer: Russian

Joshua was fluent in Greek, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Hebrew, Arabic, Latin, and Syriac, an Eastern Aramaic language spoken by various Middle Eastern Christian peoples. In fact, he taught himself to read ancient Greek to pass the Bowdoin College entrance exam.

Answer: Fanny Adams

Joshua married Fanny Adams, who was the daughter of a local clergyman, in 1855. They had five children, but three of them did not survive infancy. Julia Howe was actually a very prominent abolitionist, who wrote "The Battle Hymn of the Republic".

Answer: Adelbert Ames

Adelbert Ames became colonel of the 20th Maine when Joshua declined. He was promoted to brigadier general in June of 1863, at which time Joshua became the Colonel of the regiment. George Sykes was the commander of the Union V Corps at Gettysburg, of which the 20th Maine was a part. Strong Vincent was the commander of the brigade the 20th was a part of, and he was killed at Gettysburg. Oliver Howard was from Maine, but was commander of the Union XI Corps.

Answer: Smallpox

An outbreak of smallpox kept the 20th Maine on guard duty in the rear during the battle. The smallpox was supposedly contracted from the innoculations the regiment received to ward off the disease!

Answer: Thomas Davee Chamberlain

Thomas Davee Chamberlain was the youngest of five siblings, the youngest brother of Joshua. He served throughout the duration of the Civil War, mostly with the 20th Maine, eventually rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He is credited with taking actions that saved his brother Joshua's life after Joshua was severly wounded at the Battle of Petersburg. Thomas died on August 12, 1896. John Calhoun Chamberlain, their brother, visited them at the Battle of Gettysburg as a member of the Christian Commission, and he was later appointed chaplain of another Maine Regiment.

Answer: The acceptance of the formal surrender of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia

Chamberlain was chosen by Grant to receive the formal laying down of arms and colors of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia on April 12, 1865. In a display of admiration for Lee and his army, and in an effort to persuade the remaining Confederate armies still fighting to surrender as well, Chamberlain presented to the Confederates a salute, and ordered his men to do the same. Confederate general, John B. Gordon, deeply touched by this, returned the salute and ordered HIS men to do likewise.

Answer: Resumed his teaching career

Immediately following his mustering out, he returned to teaching, often giving speeches about his wartime experiences. After all he had experienced, however, he now found teaching to be "tame and uninspiring", and decided to enter politics.

In September, 1866, he was elected Governor of Maine, and served from 1866-1870 (elected to four terms ... a term being one year at that time). He served as President of Bowdoin College from 1871 until 1883.

Answer: 15th Alabama

Commanded by Colonel William C. Oates, the 15th Alabama entered Gettysburg with a strength of 644 men and 42 officers (according to Col. Oates), which meant they outnumbered the 20th Maine approximately 2 to 1. They were part of General Evander Laws' Alabama brigade, which also counted the 4th Alabama and the 48th Alabama among it's numbers.

The 4th Virginia was part of the famed Stonewall Brigade, part of Ewell's Corps fighting at Culp's Hill.

Answer: Stay away from him

According to various sources, Joshua and Thomas Chamberlain, as well as their brother John (a member of a Christian Commission) were en route to their position on Little Round Top when an artillery shell from Confederate cannon came very close to hitting all three men. Saying, "Another one a bit closer could be a hard day for Mother", Joshua sent John to look for a place for wounded men to be taken, and Tom to the rear.

He also ordered Tom on various duties and assignments during the battle that would not place them in too close proximity to one another.

Answer: 83rd Pennsylvania

The 16th Michigan, 44th New York, 83rd Pennsylvania, and 20th Maine composed the third brigade of the 1st Division of the Union V Corps at Gettysburg. Commanded by Col. Strong Vincent, the brigade occupied Little Round Top just before Confederate units began to arrive. Col. Vincent positioned the 20th Maine to the extreme left, with the 83rd Pennsylvania next to them on their right. Col. Vincent was mortally wounded at Little Round Top.

The 6th Wisconsin was a unit in the famed Union Iron Brigade, part of the Union I Corps.

Answer: Recipient of the Medal of Honor

Chamberlain, after a wait of thirty years, was finally awarded the Medal of Honor by Congress in 1893 for his gallantry at the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. He was never a senator, representative, or foreign diplomat, although he did represent the United States at the Paris Exposition in 1878.

Answer: war wounds

Perhaps as great an indicator of this man's character and strength as any, when Chamberlain passed away, it was because of lingering complications from a severe wound he received during the Battle of Petersburg in 1864, when a bullet pierced his hip, traveled through his groin, nicked his bladder, and exited his other hip.

Despite several later operations, he was never able to escape the effects of this wounding, and endured them for almost 50 years until his death!

Answer: Portland

In 1900, Chamberlain was named Surveyor of the Port of Portland, Maine, and remained in Portland until his death.



Information, basic and specific, obtained for this quiz was garnered with the assistance of many websites and books, and I am in great appreciation to all!