MAJOR GENERAL JOSHUA LAWRENCE CHAMBERLAIN - COLLECTION - HFSID 277583

JOSHUA LAWRENCE CHAMBERLAIN
Chamberlain handwrote, signed and dated this letter in 1892 as president of the Florida West Coast Improvement Company "constructing the Silver Springs, Ocala and Gulf Railroad". Accompanied by unsigned b/w photograph of Chamberlain.
Two items: 1) Autograph letter signed "Joshua L. Chamberlain /(101 W. 75th St NY City-)" as president of the Florida West Coast Improvement Company. 1 page,8x10¼, on letterhead of the Florida West Coast Improvement Company "Constructing the Silver Springs, Ocala and Gulf Railroad", mounted on 8x10½ light blue paper. New York, Dec. 5, 1892. Addressed to "Mr. Williamson". In full: "I have kept this unduly long, hoping to make it more perfect as to dates, & other data. But I send it on thinking you will need to get your material in hand soon. You perceive most of my papers are only published in newspapers and other trans-ient form. I don't know that this brings them within your plan & purpose. I will still endeavor to perfect the list, but you need not wait for me.".Lightly toned and stained. Letter has been folded twice horizontally and unfolded. "Ch" and "W. 7" in signature lightly smeared. Otherwise in fined condition. 2) Photograph unsigned. B/w, 7¾x10¾ overall, 3¾x4¾ image, one surface, mounted on 7¾x11 light blue paper. Captioned: "Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, LL.D.". Chamberlain (1828-1914), formerly a college professor and later the President of Bowdoin College, commanded the 20th Maine regiment at the Battle of Gettysburg, where he held the extreme left flank on Little Round Top, a service for which he was later awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Assigned to brigade command in June 1864, he was wounded 12 days later in the assault on Petersburg. Chamberlain was promoted to Brigadier General on the spot by General Grant, then carried to the rear, where a surgeon declared that he would certainly die from the wound; he did, 50 years later. At Appomattox, Chamberlain was given the honor of commanding the troops that formally accepted the surrender of the Confederate Army. (He ordered a salute to the defeated Confederate troops as they filed past, a gesture much appreciated in the South but used against him later by political foes in Maine.) After the war he served as Governor of Maine (1866-1870).