“The men of these two outfits (20th Maine v. 15th Alabama) fought as if the outcome of the battle, and with it the war, depended on their valor: as indeed perhaps it did, since whoever had possession of this craggy height on the Union left would dominate the whole fishhook position.”
Shelby Foote, volume 2, Civil War trilogy
cool headed most honorable college professor soldier… “those rebs they’ve got to be tired.. we’re going sweep down the hill like a door closing.. Fix Bayonets!”
the right man at the exact moment-
Providence
No doubt, an honorable man. Unfortunately on the wrong side in that most unfortunate war. As our nation proceeds down the deadly path towards full blown communism, does anyone ever wonder what path we would be on if the South had prevailed?
Probably more than two republics where the United States stands now, and ill-prepared to make their way through the perilous twentieth century to come. In my view Chamberlain was on the better side, but it was America at war with itself in that terrible war without an enemy.