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A monument for the 20th Maine on Little Round Top.
July 2, 1863 was one of the most important days of the Civil War. That's the day that, in the battle at Gettysburg, the 20th Maine kept the confederate forces from getting behind Union lines, saving the day and quite possibly the war.
Joshua Chamberlain (who we've talked about before) commanded the troops that day, and he receives credit for one of the most notable maneuvers of the battle. Low on ammo, low on soldiers, he ordered his men to affix their bayonets and charge. The left flank came around first, which meant that the charge combined a flanking maneuver with a frontal assault, and a good portion of the 15th Alabama was captured.
The moment itself was captured on film in the 1993 movie Gettysburg, with Jeff Daniels giving a fine performance as the man behind the mustache. Here are two clips; one showing the initial engagement of battle...
...and one the decisive moment. Note the sudden appearance of the Maine accent on the word "door."
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