BY BOYD CRAIG, PRESIDENT, AMERICA’S FREEDOM FESTIVAL AT PROVO 2007
Things were not going well for the the Union army. With July 1862 came a call from President Abraham Lincoln lnto the governors of the northern states for 300,000 more volunteers. Convinced that the very existence of the United States hung in the balance, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, a promising young rhetoric professor at Bowdoin College,wrote to the Governor of Maine and offered his service:
In pursuance of the offer of reinforcements for the war, I ask if your Excellency desires and will accept my service. . . . But, I fear, this war, so costly of blood and treasure, will not cease until the men of the North are willing to leave good positions, and sacrifice the dearest personal interests, to rescue our Country from desolation, and defend the National existence against treachery at home and jealousy abroad. This war must be ended, with a swift and strong hand; and every man ought to come forward and ask to be placed at his proper post. Governor Washburn accepted his offer. Though chamberlain knew little of soldiering, he quickly rose through the ranks. His most defining hour came as commander of the Union’s 20th Maine Company on Little Round Topin the Battle of Gettysburg. His orders were to hold firm the extreme left of the Union line and to prevent the Confederate army from flanking them. His company bravely held the line until, at last, they ran out of ammunition. Refusing to give way, he paused in silent reflection, then called forth the order, “Fix bayonets!” The entire line followed his lead, rose up in a shout, and with fixed bayonets, rushed the approaching army in an all-out attack.
Stunned by the fearsome sight, the enemy’s front line threw down their arms and surrendered. Swinging forward with an extended “right wheel,” the 20th Maine went on to break the second line, eventually overtaking, killing, or capturing the entire attacking regiment that vastly outnumbered them.
Many are convinced that this victory of raw courage on Little Round Top was the turning point for the North’s victory at Gettysburg and the CivilWar. One person. One volunteer.
Modem-day “Little Round Tops” surround us-crises in our families, in our neighborhoods and communities, in our schools, in our nation, and beyond. Calls to volunteer may not come from governors and presidents; but they do come as calls of conscience to action. The challenge to “hold the line” at all costs in the face of relentless opposition is no different. But the true crisis will not be triggered by a lack of “ammunition.” More likely is it to come by inaction, by small circles of concern limited to “me and mine,” by numbness to need, by leaving the job to government and institutions.
We welcome the coming season of national celebration. Independence Day is a time for family gathering, fun, and fireworks-a time to honor all who, like Chamberlain, have offered their service and lives in defense of liberty. It’s a time to acknowledge and express gratitude to God for the blessings of freedom.
Come and enjoy the many events of America’s Freedom Festival-all dedicated to celebrating our freedom and liberty. May we also reflect on what life is “calling out to us” to do with that freedom-and then volunteer. Reach out. “Adopt” a troubled teen. Affirm a child’s worth and potential. “Adopt”a cause. Give a regular portion of your time to meet a great need. Such service, given freely,is one of the hallmarks of a great America. As Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain put it, “No sacrifice or service of mine requires any other reward than that which conscience gives to every man who does his duty.”
I really enjoyed this article because it reminds me of the need to be a better person, love those around you and strive to serve God and Country.
