"...human History is not a Dead Sea, it is a rolling river."-- Joshua Chamberlain, October 18, 1866 at the Dedication of Soldier Monument at Gorham
In previous month’s we have explored the qualities that make a person noteworthy, someone who excels in his or her chosen field, one who is a leader, who makes a difference in the lives of others, and one who is an innovator. Joshua Chamberlain, who was born in the small town of Brewer, Maine on September 8, 1828, became noteworthy because of all of the qualities listed above.
Joshua’s early life was typical of the time. He spent his childhood on his family’s farm with his four younger brothers and sisters. Then went off to Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine in 1848 to continue his education. While in Brunswick, Chamberlain met Fannie Adams, the daughter of a local pastor. Fannie became his wife in 1855 and together they had five children, two of whom survived to adulthood. Also while at Bowdoin, Chamberlain socialized with Harriet Beecher Stowe and her family. Chamberlain was present as Stowe wrote, read, and revised her book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
After receiving his degree, from Bowdoin, Chamberlain continued his education at Bangor Theological Seminary. After completing his studies, Chamberlain returned to Bowdoin to teach.
In 1862, Joshua, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather before him, became a soldier. Chamberlain’s military career, leadership and courage were portrayed in books like The Killer Angels, which was made into the movie, Gettysburg. But Chamberlain was involved in many other battles, as well. For instance, at the Battle of Petersberg, Chamberlain suffered a near-fatal injury when a minie ball passed through his body from hip to hip. There was extensive internal damage and the medics on the field thought Chamberlain would surely die. Because of his supposed impending death, Chamberlain was promoted by General Grant to Brigadier General on the battlefield. An obituary was written and submitted to the press. Then the stubborn Chamberlain recovered from his injuries. After recuperating, Chamberlain returned to his troops and continued to lead throughout the Civil War.
Following his military career, Chamberlain once again returned to his teaching career at Bowdoin College. But his stay there was short-lived. He was soon elected governor of Maine, and was re-elected three times to this position, serving the people of Maine for almost a quarter of a century. Chamberlain was a member of the Republican Party, but because of his independent and unpredictable nature, he was not considered an “insider” in the party. He did, however, affect some changes that continue to benefit the State of Maine. Chamberlain managed to start a new college, the State’s land grand university (now the University of Maine), and also encouraged investment, development, and settlement of the State of Maine.
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