Union monuments at Gettysburg > Maine at Gettysburg


There are two monuments and a company position marker to the 20th Maine Infantry Regiment at Gettysburg.

Monument to the 20th Maine Infantry on Little Round Top at Gettysburg

About the 20th Maine Infantry Regiment at Gettysburg

The 20th Maine Infantry brought 386 men to Gettysburg, of whom 29 were killed, 91 wounded, and 5 missing. The names of the casualties are listed on the monument on Little Round Top .

The Medal of honor as it looked at the time of the Civil War Colonel Chamberlain and Sergeant Andrew Tozier were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions on July 2nd. Chamberlain for “daring heroism and great tenacity in holding his position on the Little Round Top against repeated assaults, and carrying the advance position on the Great Round Top” Tozier who, “At the crisis of the engagement this soldier, a color bearer, stood alone in an advanced position, the regiment having been borne back, and defended his colors with musket and ammunition picked up at his feet.”

Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, the 20th Maine’s commander at the Battle of Gettysburg, has become one the most famous men of the Civil War thanks to the novel The Killer Angels and the movie Gettysburg. He was wounded six times, earned the Medal of Honor, and went on after the war to serve as Governor of Maine and President of Bowdoin College.

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5th Corps Headquarters Flag Attached to the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Corps, Army of the Potomac Flag for the First Division, Fifth Corps
Left side of the monument to the 20th Maine on Little Round Top

Left side of the main monument to the 20th Maine on Little Round Top

Main monument to the 20th Maine

The main monument is on the southeast side of Little Round Top. (Little Round Top tour map) This marks the center of the line the regiment held during its famous defense of Little Round Top on July 2nd. It was dedicated in 1886 by the State of Maine.

From the front of the main monument on Little Round Top
Twentieth Maine

Volunteer Infantry
Third Brig. First Div.
Fifth Corps

From the right side of the main monument on Little Round Top

Here the 20th Maine Regiment,
Col. J.L. Chamberlain commanding, forming the
extreme left of the national line of battle
on the 2nd day of July 1863, repulsed the
attack of the extreme right of Longstreet’s
Corps and charged in turn, capturing 308
prisoners. The regiment lost 38 killed or
mortally wounded and 93 wounded out of
358 engaged.

This monument erected by survivors of
this regiment A.D. 1888. Marks very nearly
the spot where the colors stood.

From the left side of the main monument

Names of the officers and men of the Twentieth
Maine Volunteers who were killed or died of
wounds received in this action:

Capt. Charles W. Billings Co. C
1 Lieut. Arad H. Linscott ”  I
2nd Lieut. Warren L. Kendall ” G
Corp. Joseph D.Simpson ” A
Priv. John Reed Jr. ” A
1st Serg. Issac W. Estes ” C
Priv. Elliott L. Fogg ” C
”  Moses Davis ” C
”  Oliver L. Stevens ” C
”  Charles M. Beadle ” C
Corp. Willard Pinkham ” D
”  Andrew D. Maybury ” D
Priv. Stephen A. Prescott ” D
Corp. Paschal M. Tripp ” F
”  John Foss ” F
”  William S. Hodgdon ” F
Priv. Seth W. Clark ” F
”  John Wentworth
  ” F

From the rear of the main monument

Priv. Oscar Wyer Co. F
”  Charles F. Hall ” F
”  Benjamin W. Grant ” F
”  Frank B. Curtis ” F
”  Elfin J. Ross ” F
Serg. William S. Jordan ” G
Corp. Melville C. Law ” G
Priv. James A. Knight ” G
1st Serg. Charles W. Steele ” H
Serg.George W. Buck ” H
”  Isaac M. Lathrop ” H
Priv. Aaaron Adams ” H
”  Goodwin S. Ireland ” H
”   Iredell Lamson ” H
”  Alexander E. Lester ”  I
1st Serg. George S. Noyes ” K
Priv. James R. Merrill ” K
”  William F. Merrill ” K
”  Stephen C. Chase ” K
”  Williard W. Buxton ” K

Location of the main monument to the 20th Maine Infantry Regiment

The main monument to the 20th Maine is on Little Round Top south of Gettysburg. It is on the southeast side of Little Round Top, about 170 yards south of the parking area along Sykes Avenue and about 65 yards northeast of the intersection of Sykes, Warren and Wright Avenues. (39°47’22.1″N 77°14’10.1″W)

Company B position marker on Little Round Top

A marker showing the position of the 20th Maine Regiment’s Company B during the defense of Little Round Top is 100 yards to the east of the main monument. Captain Morrill and about 40 men of Company B were placed here to provide some protection to the left flank of the 20th Maine, and were joined by a group of United States Sharpshooters.

Monument to Company B of the 20th Maine Infantry at Gettysburg

Monument to Company B of the 20th Maine Infantry at Gettysburg

From the monument to Company B on Little Round Top:

Position of Company B,
20th Me. Vols., Capt. Walter G. Morrill,
detached as skirmishers,
attacking the enemy’s right flank,
afternoon of July 2, 1863.

Location of the Company B position marker

The monument to Company B of the 20th Maine on Little Round Top is on the southeast side of Little Round Top, about 100 yards east of the main monument. (39°47’20.0″N 77°14’05.0″W)

Monument to the 20th Maine Regiment on Big Round Top

A third monument to the 20th Maine at Gettysburg is near the summit of Big Round Top. It shows the position to which the 20th Maine advanced during the evening July 2nd. It continued to hold this position through the morning of the 3rd (unlike in the movie, where the regiment was ordered to the center of the Union line just in time for Pickett’s Charge). The monument was dedicated in 1889.

Monument to the 20th Maine Infantry on Big Round Top at Gettysburg

Monument to the 20th Maine Infantry on Big Round Top

From the monument on Big Round Top:

The 20th Maine Reg. 3d Brig. 1st. Div. 5th Corps Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain captured and held this position on the evening of July 2d, 1863, pursuing the enemy from its front on the line marked by its monument below. The Regt. lost in the battle 130 killed and wounded out of 358 engaged. This monument marks the extreme left of the Union line during the battle of the 3d day.

Closeup of the monument to the 20th Maine Infantry on Big Round Top at Gettysburg

Location of the 20th Maine monument on Big Round Top

The monument to the 20th Maine on Big Round Top is south of Gettysburg about 350 yards up the relatively steep walking trail to the summit of Big Round Top. (39°47’11.9″N 77°14’22.4″W) The trailhead to the walking trail is on the south side of South Confederate Avenue, which is one way eastbound. Visitors may wish to visit this monument first before continuing along South Confederate Avenue to Little Round Top.

See more about the history of the 20th Maine Infantry Regiment in the Civil War