The 20th Maine-To Little Round Top and Beyond

Army Life: A Private’s Reminiscences of the Civil War

by Theodore Gerrish

A Brief History of the 20th Maine Regiment in the American Civil War

by H. S. Melcher

The civil war of the men from Maine by one of their number

Almost all students of the American Civil War are aware of the famous 20th Maine, which under the inspirational leadership of its colonel, Joshua Chamberlain, and positioned on the high ground known as Little Round Top, held the farthest extremity of the Union Army line, under Vincent, at the Battle of Gettysburg. The Confederates, aware that the key to outflanking the Union Army lay in the taking of Little Round Top, furiously assaulted the high ground with troops under Hood’s command who, despite prodigious displays of valour and self-sacrifice, nevertheless failed to take the position. Chamberlain’s downhill bayonet charge on this occasion remains exceptional in the military history of his nation. The principal work contained in these pages covers these momentous events, but its canvas is far broader than the engagement at Gettysburg. Written by a talented ordinary soldier, a private in the 20th Maine, the book covers most of the wartime actions of that regiment from the perspective of a voice from the ranks. Readers will be pleased to discover that irrespective of the fact that the subject is a particularly famous unit, battle and event, this account is simply a fine first-hand account of the civil war which would be noteworthy irrespective of any other consideration because it is well written and full of incidents, humour, anecdotes and insights of life on campaign and upon the fields of conflict. Theodore Gerrish’s highly regarded account is accompanied in this special Leonaur edition by a brief history of the 20th Maine by H. S Melcher.

Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.