Passing Through the Fire
J OSHUA L AWRENCE C HAMBERLAIN IN THE C IVIL W AR
Brian Swartz
Chris Mackowski, series editor
Chris Kolakowski, chief historian
The Emerging Civil War Series
offers compelling, easy-to-read overviews of some of the Civil Wars most important battles and stories.
Recipient of the Army Historical Foundations Lieutenant General Richard G. Trefry Award for contributions to the literature on the history of the U.S. Army
Also part of the Emerging Civil War Series:
Aftermath of Battle: The Burial of the Civil War Dead
by Meg Groeling
Dawn of Victory: Breakthrough at Petersburg, March 25 April 2, 1865 by Edward Alexander
Dont Give an Inch: The Second Day at Gettysburg from Little Round Top to Cemetery Ridge, July 2, 1863 by Chris Mackowski, Kristopher D. White, and Daniel T. Davis
Embattled Capital: A Guide to Richmond During the Civil War by Robert M. Dunkerly and Doug Crenshaw
Grants Left Hook: The Bermuda Hundred Campaign, May 5 June 7, 1864 by Sean Michael Chick
Hellmira: The Unions Most Infamous Civil War Prison Camp Elmira, NY by Derek Maxfield
A Mortal Blow to the Confederacy: The Fall of New Orleans, 1862 by Mark F. Bielski
Simply Murder: The Battle of Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862 by Chris Mackowski and Kristopher D. White
To the Bitter End: Appomattox, Bennett Place, and the Surrenders of the Confederacy
by Robert M. Dunkerly
Unlike Anything that Ever Floated: The Monitor, Virginia, and the Battle of Hampton Roads, March 8 9, 1862 by Dwight Sturtevant Hughes
For a complete list of titles in the Emerging Civil War Series, visit www.emergingcivilwar.com .
Also by Brian Swartz:
Maine at War Volume I: Bladensburg to Sharpsburg (Epic Saga, 2019)
Passing Through the Fire
J OSHUA L AWRENCE C HAMBERLAIN IN THE C IVIL W AR
Brian Swartz
2021 by Brian Swartz
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America.
First edition, first printing
ISBN-13 (paperback): 978-1-61121-561-8
ISBN-13 (ebook): 978-1-61121-562-5
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Swartz, Brian, 1954- author.
Title: Passing Through the Fire: Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain in the Civil War / by Brian Swartz.
Other titles: Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain in the Civil War
Description: El Dorado Hills, CA : Savas Beatie, [2021] | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: Drawing on Chamberlains extensive memoirs and writings and multiple period sources, historian Brian F. Swartz follows Chamberlain across Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia while examining the determined warrior who let nothing prevent him from helping save the United States-- Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020055333 | ISBN 9781611215618 (paperback) | ISBN 9781611215625 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Chamberlain, Joshua Lawrence, 1828-1914. | United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Campaigns. | Generals--United States--Biography. | United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Regimental histories. | United States. Army. Corps, 5th (1862-1865) | Brewer (Me.)--Biography.
Classification: LCC E467.1.C47 .S93 2021 | DDC 355.0092 [B]--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020055333
Published by
Savas Beatie LLC
989 Governor Drive, Suite 102
El Dorado Hills, California 95762
Phone: 916-941-6896
Email:
Web: www.savasbeatie.com
Savas Beatie titles are available at special discounts for bulk purchases in the United States by corporations, institutions, and other organizations. For more details, please contact Special Sales, P.O. Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762, or you may e-mail us at for additional information.
In memory of my beloved sister, Tracey Smith
(1958-2021)
Footnotes for this volume are available at:
http://emergingcivilwar.com/publications/the-emerging-civil-war-series/footnotes
List of Maps
Maps by Edward Alexander
For the Emerging Civil War Series
Theodore P. Savas, publisher
Chris Mackowski, series editor
Christopher Kolakowski, chief historian
Sarah Keeney, editorial consultant
Kristopher D. White, co-founding editor
Publication supervision by Chris Mackowski
Design and layout by Savannah Rose
Acknowledgments
This wartime biography of Joshua L. Chamberlain would not be possible without the support and guidance of Chris Mackowski, who invited me to write about Chamberlain, with whom I share a hometown.
Thank you so much, Chris, for your confidence in me writing my first biography.
Many other people generously assisted me in finding historical material, both written and photographic, about the Chamberlain family. With deepest gratitude for their magnificent contributions to this book, I especially thank:
Steven Garrett, president of the Joshua L. Chamberlain Civil War Round Table and enthusiastic Pejepscot History Center member
Edward Alexander, mapmaker extraordinaire
Ashley Towle, Ph.D., lecturer in the Department of History and Honors, University of Southern Maine
Dedicated on November 11, 1954, and originally operated as a toll bridge, the Joshua Chamberlain Bridge spans the Penobscot River between Bangor, Maine, and Chamberlains hometown of Brewer. (bfs)
Antietam was the first battlefield seen by Joshua L. Chamberlain and the 20th Maine. (bfs)
P HOTO C REDITS :
Bangor Historical Society (bhs); Bangor Maine Public Library (bmpl); Brewer Maine Historical Society (bmhs); Brewer Public Library (bpl); Civil War Trust (cwt); Raymond Fogler Library, University of Maine (rfl); George J. Mitchell Dept. of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library (bcl); Steven Garrett (sg); Harpers Weekly (hw); Library of Congress (loc); Chris Mackowski (cm); Maine State Archives (msa); National Archives (na); Onondaga Historical Association (oha); Pejepscot History Center Collection (phcc); Brian F. Swartz (bfs)
