Becoming A Hell of a Regiment: The Twentieth Maine at Fredericksburg in History and Memory

Though famous for its actions at Gettysburg, the Twentieth Maine’s first major battle – and the one that set it up to earn glory seven months later – was Fredericksburg. Fifty years later, differing interpretations of that same battle turned former comrades Joshua Chamberlain and Ellis Spear into enemies, and provided much fodder for today’s anti-Chamberlain crowd.
Join us first at the CVBT office as Jared Peatman, author of the recently-released "A Hell of a Regiment: To Gettysburg and Beyond with the Twentieth Maine," reveals the dynamics of the Twentieth Maine on the eve of the Battle of Fredericksburg, the impact of the great battle on the unit, and then the controversies that arose with Joshua Chamberlain’s January 1913 account “My Story of Fredericksburg.” Then, we’ll pick up with the tour portion of the program and follow in the footsteps of the Twentieth Maine from December 13-16, 1862, as they attacked Marye’s Heights on December 13-14 before acting as part of the army’s rearguard on December 15-16.
Register at: https://bit.ly/4fXCFer
Attendees will receive a copy of "A Hell of a Regiment: To Gettysburg and Beyond with the Twentieth Maine" with their paid registration. Books will be passed out at the event.
Moderate walking on level ground will be required for the tour portion of the program. We suggest comfortable walking shoes and to keep an eye on the forecast to dress appropriately.