Chamberlain Lied About Little Round Top? : The Truth About The 20th Maine At Gettysburg

Everyone knows the legendary story of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, the 20th Maine, and the desperate bayonet charge that helped save the Union line at Battle of Gettysburg.

But what if that story isn’t exactly how it happened?

In this episode of History with Waffles, we take you on location to Little Round Top and Big Round Top to walk the ground where history—and legend—collide. Alongside battlefield expert Mike “Six Questions” Lentz, we break down the controversy surrounding Chamberlain, Ellis Spear, and William C. Oates.

Did the famous 20th Maine bayonet charge really happen the way it’s portrayed in Gettysburg?
Did Oates already order a retreat before the charge began?
And how much of what we believe today was shaped by The Killer Angels and postwar memory?

This video explores the myth vs truth of Little Round Top, the role of the 15th Alabama, the overlooked story of Company B, and the reality of combat on one of the most famous battlefields in American history.

👉 If you love Civil War history, Gettysburg battlefield tours, and deep dives into historical controversies, make sure to subscribe and join us as we stand where history actually happened.

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Chapters

00:00 Did the 20th Maine Really Charge at Gettysburg? Little Round Top Myth vs Truth

02:20 History with Waffles at Little Round Top | Joshua Chamberlain and the 20th Maine

03:15 Big Round Top Gettysburg | The Forgotten 20th Maine Position Few Visitors See

06:20 Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain Controversy | Did the Bayonet Charge Really Happen?

07:35 Gettysburg Guide Explains the 20th Maine Legend, Myth, and Battlefield Sources

11:28 Little Round Top on July 2, 1863 | Why the Union Left Flank Had to Hold

13:45 William C. Oates and the 15th Alabama Attack on Little Round Top

16:10 Company B 20th Maine Skirmishers | The Hidden Stone Wall Between the Round Tops

19:40 Real Terrain of the 20th Maine Bayonet Charge at Little Round Top Gettysburg

21:30 Did William Oates Retreat Before Joshua Chamberlain Ordered the Charge?

26:01 Fix Bayonets | Joshua Chamberlain and the Famous 20th Maine Charge

27:59 Chamberlain vs Oates vs Ellis Spear | Conflicting Accounts of Little Round Top

29:30 Ellis Spear’s Version of the 20th Maine Charge | Gettysburg History Debate

35:31 Walking the Alabama Attack Route | 15th Alabama vs 20th Maine at Gettysburg

36:13 What Really Happened on Little Round Top? Gettysburg Battlefield Truth Explained

39:15 Big Round Top and the 20th Maine’s July 3 Gettysburg Position

41:41 The Truth Behind the 20th Maine Legend | Courage, Memory, and Gettysburg History

43:22 Joshua Chamberlain Medal of Honor | How the 20th Maine Story Became Famous

44:29 Andrew Tozier and the 20th Maine Flag Story | Medal of Honor at Gettysburg

46:03 Joshua Chamberlain’s Petersburg Wound and the Debate Over Civil War Memory

47:36 Final Thoughts from Little Round Top | Was the 20th Maine Charge a Myth?

50:41 What We Know for Certain About the 20th Maine Charge at Gettysburg

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