A bullet ripped through Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain's pelvis during a battle at Petersburg, Va., in 1864. Certain of death, he dictated a farewell letter to his wife. When asked by two generals what they could do for him, Chamberlain requested a promotion to brigadier general, a rank awarded personally by Ulysses S. Grant.

John J. Pullen '35 describes that scene in his latest book, Joshua Chamberlain: A Hero's Life and Legacy. "A thought which must spring to mind," Pullen writes, "is that anyone who seeks a higher worldly office when he thinks he is departing from the world is certainly looking toward the perpetuation of his name and fame."

Chamberlain needn't have worried. Had he died that day, Chamberlain would have still left a remarkable legacy of honor, decency and bravery. As it was, he went on to serve as governor of Maine and president of his alma mater, Bowdoin.

Pullen, who retired from an advertising career in 1965 and never considered himself a professional historian, laid the foundation for Chamberlain's revived status when he published his first book, The Twentieth Maine, in 1957. In his new book, Pullen deals largely with Chamberlain's postwar years and explains why his status as a hero revived in the 20th century, after Chamberlain had been subjected to repeated disappointment and the gradual fading of his wartime glory. In one sense, Chamberlain's life reached its peak at Little Round Top, where his leadership of the Twentieth Maine quite possibly saved the Army of the Potomac. He went on to orchestrate one of the most moving gestures in military history when he insisted on saluting surrendering Confederate soldiers at Appomattox Court House–a decision that may well have cost him the illustrious future that had seemed inevitable.

	John Pullen '35 (Briget Besaw Gorman)

The Civil War, like other major American wars, produced a group of young men who found fulfillment and glory in military leadership. However, the qualities that made some men outstanding on the battlefield frequently were not useful in politics and business.

In a clear narrative, Pullen follows Chamberlain's career through four frustrating one-year terms as governor of Maine. To his credit, Chamberlain was farsighted, supporting increased tourism and other Maine-based industries that reduced the state's dependence on selling raw materials. He stressed education as a way to train Maine youth for more varied careers in the state. Chamberlain was as dedicated to public service as he was to the Union army, but his principles frequently got in his way.

What Chamberlain failed to learn was subtlety. After serving as governor he became embroiled in a near civil war over a voting list dispute that ended in a siege on the state capitol. His insistence on pusuing that dispute brought a bloodthirsty mob to his door and, more important, alienated him from politicians across the spectrum.

Pullen describes Chamberlain's long decline–from 1880 until his death in 1914 he suffered from poor health, the rise of a new generation, and diminished prestige. But he remained devoted to public duty, the pursuit of personal integrity and patriotism.

He was a patriot with deep emotional commitment to the Union he helped save, but he was never an active abolitionist and was decidedly critical of radical reconstruction. Despite his own wounds, he was a firm believer in military virtues and the heroic side of wartime service. Though these views have been criticized by some 20th-century historians, the U.S. Army field manual on leadership designates Chamberlain as a model military leader. His courage, calm devotion to duty and genuine compassion are virtues that endure both in war and civilian life.

One might ask why Chamberlain has reemerged as a genuine American hero while many other once-famous soldiers have been forgotten. The answer lies in the appeal of his career to ordinary citizens. He was a civilian–a professor–who met the grim test of wartime command and emerged as a hero at a crucial moment. The relatively small size of the unit he commanded (400 men) makes his skill, courage and calm maneuvering at Little Round Top easily understood and fits into a long American tradition of the soldier rising to heroic achievement in war.

The struggle he maintained against an unfamiliar and an often hostile world, old age and physical decline is one old soldiers must face. The heroism of "doing the right thing no matter what the consequences," dramatized at Gettysburg, continued long after the glory of the war faded. Pullen's account of Chamberlain's postwar career and the revival of his reputation is an essential part of the story of an enduring American hero.

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