Battle of Little Round Top
The Battle of Little Round Top was part of the Battle of Gettysburg. It occurred on July 2, 1863. The troops under Joshua Chamberlain, the 20th Maine, formed the left flank for the Confederate troops. They repelled several charges by the Confederates. However, eventually Chamberlain's troops ran low on ammunition. Chamberlain ordered that the soldiers mount bayonets to their rifles and he ordered a charge down the hill against the Confederates. This charge surprised the Confederates and was successful.
The success in the Battle of Little Round Top is considered a turning-point in the Battle of Gettysburg and in the Civil War.
Battle Of Little Round Top Media
Little Round Top (left) and [Big] Round Top, photographed from Plum Run Valley in 1909
Little Round Top photographed in 2006
Little Round Top, western slope, photographed by Timothy H. O'Sullivan, 1863
Looking from Little Round Top toward the Valley of Death (Devil's Den would be located in the left background)
Monument of General Warren overlooking the battlefield from Little Round Top
Attack on Little Round Top held by the 5th Corps commanded by General Sykes, painting by Edwin Forbes. Forbes has incorrectly depicted [Big] Round Top with two peaks.
Battle of Little Round Top, initial assault* Confederate* Union
LTC William C. Oates, commander of the 15th Alabama Infantry from spring 1863 to July 1864
Joshua Chamberlain. Library of Congress description: "General Joshua L. Chamberlain"
