The Other Chamberlain Brother

Thomas Davee Chamberlain the youngest brother of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain died on August 12th 1896.

Thomas Davee Chamberlain was the youngest of five siblings born to Joshua and Sarah Brastow Chamberlain on April 29th 1841. He was born in Brewer Maine, and grew up on the family farm there. Thomas was the only son in the family not to attend college, and was working in Bangor as a grocery clerk by the time he was a teenager.

Thomas joined the Union army July 16th 1862. He was placed in Company “G”, in the newly formed 20th Maine with his brother Joshua Chamberlain. The 20th saw fighting at Marye’s Heights during the Battle of Fredericksburg. They missed the fight at Chancellorsville due an out break of small pox. Thomas Chamberlain made it through the Battle of Gettysburg unhurt. During the siege of Petersburg, when Thomas’ brother Joshua was wounded and not expected to live, Thomas brought the surgeon of the 20th Maine, DR Abner O Shaw to his brother. Dr Shaw along with the Dr Morris W Townsend of the 44th New York worked through the night to save Colonel Joshua Chamberlain’s life. Thomas Chamberlain and the 20th Maine continued through the war seeing much of the major action. They were finally mustered out of service in Washington DC on July 16th 1865. By the time of mustering out Thomas had reached the rack of Lieutenant Colonel.

Fallowing the war, Thomas Chamberlain found himself unable to hold down a job. He suffered from lung and heart disease, and was believed to have been an alcoholic. Thomas died in Bangor Maine August 12th 1896 at the age of 55. He buried in Castine Maine.

Another good source for information
TOM CHAMBERLAIN:"MY BRAVE YOUNG BROTHER"

Began and Ended

In the little coastal town of Brunswick, Maine on June 24 1794, Bowdoin College was founded.

Bowdoin College has caused many to say that this is where the Civil War “began and ended”. It was in Appleton Hall, while her husband was teaching at Bowdoin, that Harriet Beecher Stowe began writing her novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. Than Joshua Chamberlain, who was an alumnus and professor of Bowdoin accepted the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House.

Other Civil War connections to Bowdoin College include, General Oliver Otis Howard [the class of 1850], who was the leader of the Freedmen’s Bureau after the war. Governor John A Andrew [class of 1837] who was responsible for the formation of the 54th Massachusetts. William P Fessenden [class of 1823] and Hugh McCulloch [class 1827] both of whom served as Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of the Treasury. Brevet Brigadier General Ellis Spear [class of 1858] who was Chamberlain’s second in command at Gettysburg. John Brown Russwurm [class of 1826] who was the third black man to graduate from an American college and the co-founder of “Freedom’s Journal” the country’s first black newspaper.