Chapter 23 – This poem, The End, focuses on Chamberlain’s thoughts after the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg. For now, the Union has won this battle. He is confident that he is fighting for the right cause, but the war is not yet over. He knows he will need to continue to fight until the North totally wins or he is dead.

Written by Christopher Rudolph © 2015

  Joshua Chamberlain

Chapter 23 – The End

 

In the evening he left the regiment

Off by himself all alone

Wandering out to the field

Beyond the blasted wall of stone

 

Along the long tree lined slope

He found a rock bare

Littered dark lumps everywhere

Mesmerized he stared

 

Still in shock

From the bombardment that afternoon

He laid back as the rain fell

Underneath the rising moon

 

He knew he had been witness

To a battle monumental

To be written down in history books

Forever sublime and providential

 

He knew he was on the right side

Of history’s righteous path

Those fighting against

Had just felt its mighty wrath

 

Those Rebels were courageous

But despite their bravery

Their cause was wrong and misguided

Smeared by the Evils of slavery

 

Union soldiers had fought bravely

Warrior Angels at their side

Might of right triumphant

Souls divinely allied

 

But this struggle would continue

The war was not yet done

He would continue fighting until the end

Either dead or with victory won

 

Note – Arrangements were made for a formal surrender ceremony (at Appomatox) to take place on April 12, 1865 during which 28,000 Confederate soldiers formed up and laid down their colors and weapons. General Grant selected General Joshua L. Chamberlain to take charge of this ceremony. He asked for his old brigade, the Third Brigade, First Division, V Corps (which included his old regiment, the 20th Maine) to have the honor of representing the Union Army during this ceremony.

Note – Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was wounded 6 times during the Civil War.

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