Bayonets!

Bayonets!. . , The bayonet charge of the 20th Maine on July 2 became a defining moment for the regiment. Yet, as years passed and the fog of war clouded old memories, discerning the true sequence of events and the roles individuals played in them became just as confused and chaotic as the actual charge itself., Was an order given to charge? Were bayonets ordered to be used? Who led the charge? Were the Alabamians driven from the hill, or ordered to retreat? Piecing together a coherent narrative of a complex moment such as this is the challenge of the historian. The truth of what happened on this rocky spur may never be known., Below are several accounts of the famous charge. Read them as if you were a historian. Which account would you believe? Whose version of events were correct?, "At that crisis, I ordered the bayonet. The word was enough....they sprang forward upon the enemy...." Joshua Chamberlain, 1863, "I concluded that it was my duty to order a retreat and I did so." William C. Oates, 1876, "Lieut. H. S. Melcher...saw the situation, and did not hesitate.... 'Come on! Come on, boys!' he shouts....and with one wild yell...the regiment charged." Theodore Gerrish, 1882, "I heard a shout on the center, of 'Forward' and saw the line and colors beginning to move. I had received no orders.... There was nothing else to do but move the left so I also shouted 'Forward' and we all joined in the shout..." Ellis Spear, 1916, (captions) , Col. Joshua Chamberlain, USA 20th Maine Infantry , Col William C. Oates, CSA 15th Alabama Infantry , Pvt. Theodore Gerrish, USA 20th Maine Infantry , Maj. Ellis Spears, USA 20th Maine Infantry, When ordered, soldiers would afix their bayonets on the end of their rifles and prepare for hand-to-hand combat. Seldom used in battle, bayonets accounted for only a small percentage of all wounds suffered during the conflict. This bayonet was found by National Park Service archeologists on the wooded slopes of Big Round Top to your right front.