Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (1828 to 1914) was born in Brewer, Maine, taught at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, led the 20th Maine at Little Round Top on July 2, 1863, and received the Medal of Honor in 1893. He served four one-year terms as Maine’s governor, from 1867 to 1871, and was president of Bowdoin from 1871 to 1883. Jump to his Maine timeline, Little Round Top, where to see Chamberlain in Maine or why sources disagree.
Joshua Chamberlain’s Maine timeline
- September 8, 1828: born in Brewer, Maine, the eldest of five children, according to the Pejepscot History Center and the National Park Service. His family called him “Lawrence.”
- 1848 to 1852: entered Bowdoin College in Brunswick in 1848 and graduated in 1852. He then spent three more years at Bangor Theological Seminary.
- 1855: joined the Bowdoin faculty as a professor of languages and rhetoric, per the Park Service. He taught rhetoric and later modern languages, including German and French.
- 1862: volunteered and was made lieutenant colonel of the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry. He became its colonel and commander in May 1863, after Adelbert Ames was promoted.
- July 2, 1863: held the Union’s far left flank at Little Round Top.
- June 1864: seriously wounded at the siege of Petersburg, Virginia. He returned in November 1864 as a brigadier general.
- April 12, 1865: received the surrender of Confederate weapons and colors at Appomattox, according to the Pejepscot History Center.
- 1867 to 1871: served four one-year terms as governor of Maine, as a Republican, according to the National Governors Association.
- 1871 to 1883: president of Bowdoin College. He resigned in 1883 because of ill health, per the Pejepscot History Center.
- 1893: awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry at Gettysburg. He later served as Surveyor of the Port of Portland.
- February 24, 1914: died at age 85. The Park Service says he died in Portland and is buried in Pine Grove Cemetery in Brunswick.
What happened at Little Round Top
On July 2, 1863, the second day at Gettysburg, the 20th Maine held the extreme left of the Union line on Little Round Top. According to the Department of War’s Medal of Honor feature, the 15th and 47th Alabama regiments attacked, and the 20th repelled six assaults but was running low on ammunition. Chamberlain then ordered a bayonet charge down the hill that surprised the Confederates and forced them back. The Park Service says the charge captured more than 100 Confederate troops and gave him the nickname “Lion of Little Round Top.”
Where to see Chamberlain in Maine
- The Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum, 226 Maine Street, Brunswick. It is the house where Joshua and Fannie Chamberlain and their children lived for more than 50 years, and it is run by the Pejepscot History Center.
- Tours: guided tours run from Memorial Day weekend through Indigenous Peoples’ weekend in October. Private tours are offered year-round by appointment, with at least five business days’ notice, and the museum says it cannot guarantee the requested date.
- Admission in season: $15 general, $10 child or student, free for active military and families through Blue Star Museums. A combo ticket with the Skolfield-Whittier House is $25 for adults. Private tours are $35 for adults.
- Bowdoin College: where he studied, taught and later served as president. See our colleges in Maine guide.
- Pine Grove Cemetery, Brunswick: the Park Service says he is buried here. We have not confirmed visiting details.
Those prices and dates come from the museum’s own page, last modified October 12, 2026, which lists the museum as in its off-season with private tours only. The page also gives two different closure windows for private tours, so call before you go. Our Living in Brunswick guide covers the town.
Why the sources disagree
- Where he was born. The Park Service and the Pejepscot History Center say Brewer. The Department of War feature says near Bangor, which is just across the Penobscot River.
- How many prisoners. The Park Service says the bayonet charge captured more than 100 Confederate troops. The Department of War feature says hundreds.
- Why he joined. The Pejepscot History Center says he turned down a year of paid study in Europe to volunteer. The Park Service says he was granted leave to study abroad and enlisted without the college or his family knowing.
- “Last Civil War casualty.” The Department of War feature says he was the last Civil War veteran to die of war-related wounds, and does not use the phrase casualty. His death in 1914 is attributed to his Petersburg wounds.
- His wounds. The Department of War says he was injured in the hip and groin in June 1864. The Pejepscot History Center says a minie ball pierced both hipbones.
- His medals. The Department of War feature says a second Medal of Honor followed in 1904 after Congress authorized a new design, a detail the other pages leave out.
Joshua Chamberlain in Maine: FAQ
Where was Joshua Chamberlain born?
In Brewer, Maine, on September 8, 1828, according to the Park Service and the Pejepscot History Center. See why one source says near Bangor.
Was Joshua Chamberlain governor of Maine?
Yes, from 1867 to 1871, as a Republican, according to the National Governors Association. Maine governors served one-year terms then, so that was four terms. The Park Service and the Pejepscot History Center also say four terms.
What did Joshua Chamberlain do at Little Round Top?
He commanded the 20th Maine, held the Union’s far left flank on July 2, 1863, and ordered a bayonet charge when the regiment was low on ammunition. See the details.
Where is the Joshua Chamberlain Museum?
At 226 Maine Street in Brunswick, Maine, run by the Pejepscot History Center. See hours and admission.
Where is Joshua Chamberlain buried?
In Pine Grove Cemetery in Brunswick, Maine, according to the Park Service. He died February 24, 1914.
Our details come from the Pejepscot History Center biography and museum page, the National Park Service and the Department of War’s Medal of Honor Monday feature. His governor years come from the National Governors Association. Details and hours can change, so check the museum before you visit.