At the end of the day, Grant finally had a position from which he hoped he could launch an assault on the Southside Railroad. And at the cost of his life, Colonel Welch had forever redeemed his honor.

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Despite the best efforts of the Army of the Potomac, however, Lee managed to prevent the capture of Petersburg throughout the winter of 1864-65. In the spring of 1865, Grant devised a plan to break the Petersburg deadlock. He ordered Warren’s V Corps to move around the end of the Confederate lines, isolating Maj. Gen. George Pickett’s 10,000-man outpost from Lee’s main army three miles away. Meanwhile, Grant directed Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan to sweep up the back roads with his cavalry and either cut the Southside Railroad or pounce on Pickett if he attempted to interfere.

Pickett’s job was to act as a mobile, detached force capable of blocking any Federal attempt on the railroad. Unknown to Pickett, he had been cut off from Lee as a result of Warren’s victories at Lewis Farm and White Oak Road on March 29 and 31. Chamberlain, recovered from his Petersburg wound and now in command of a brigade in Brig. Gen. Charles Griffin’s V Corps division, played a decisive role in both battles.

Chamberlain’s brigade led the way at Lewis Farm, repulsing a vigorous Confederate counterattack. At White Oak Road, a determined Rebel attack routed two Union divisions before Warren personally ordered Chamberlain to rectify the situation. Chamberlain’scounterattack repulsed the Confederates, gaining a lodgment across White Oak Road.

Meanwhile, Pickett won a small victory over Sheridan’s troopers at Dinwiddie Court House. Then, under Grant’s orders, Warren reached Sheridan on April 1, allowing Sheridan to launch a combined cavalry and infantry assault on Pickett’s troops at Five Forks later that day. The attack totally smashed Pickett’s force. The way to the Southside Railroad was open.

The war-torn V Corps fought well in the battle subsequently referred to as the Waterloo of the Civil War. Two men from the Little Round Top Regiments, Sergeant Robert Shipley of the 140th New York and Lieutenant Albert Fernald of the 20th Maine, received the Medal of Honor for capturing the 9th Virginia colors during a wild melee in the center of the Rebel line.

The commanding general also had praise for Chamberlain, whom he saw leading his men into the attack. Galloping over, Sheridan shouted: By God, that’s what I want to see! General officers at the front! Warren, though, was a different matter. Angered over Warren’s apparent slowness, Sheridan summarily sacked him, appointing Griffin to replace him as the V Corps commander.

The day after Pickett’s defeat at Five Forks, Lee abandoned his Petersburg lines and marched west, hoping to reach the rail lines that could take him to General Joseph Johnston’s troops in North Carolina. Grant had other ideas, and eight days later, on Palm Sunday, the more numerous, better-supplied Army of the Potomac brought Lee to bay at Appomattox Court House. Out of options and surrounded on three sides, Lee reluctantly agreed to surrender his army.

With the war drawing to a close, the Little Round Top Regiments were given one final task. The evening of the day that Lee signed the surrender papers, Griffin informed Chamberlain that he would have the honor of receiving the surrender of weapons and flags from Lee’s entire army on April 12. That the honor should go to one of the heroes of Gettysburg — perhaps the Army of the Potomac’s finest hour — was only just. Chamberlain’s brilliant performance at Little Round Top had been nearly duplicated in every subsequent engagement in which he fought.

Joshua Chamberlain was one among many candidates for the task. A major factor in his favor was that he was still alive and in the army — a not inconsiderable advantage over some of the other Gettysburg heroes. A quick roll call of the Little Round Top commanders is instructive. Colonel O’Rourke of the 140th New York, along with brigade commander Colonel Vincent, was killed during the famous engagement. The 83rd Pennsylvania’s commanding officer, Colonel Woodward, lost a leg at the Wilderness, knocking him out of the war. Colonel — later General — Rice of the 44th New York died facing the enemy at Spotsylvania. And Colonel Welch of the 16th Michigan fell charging a redoubt at Peebles Farm. Many of the heroes were gone.

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