At the start of the second day 
of the Battle of Gettysburg, the
Union army occupied a strong 
defensive line.  

Their line stretched south of 
Gettysburg from Culps Hill to 
Cemetery Hill, and from Cemetery
Ridge to the base of Little 
Round Top.  The weak point of 
this line was at Little Round 
Top - which at the start of the 
day had no one on it.  If the 
Confederates were to occupy 
Little Round Top, they would be 
able to deliver artillery fire 
onto the flank of the Union 
Army.

The Union Chief of Staff, 
Governor Warren, discovered the 
lack of Union presence on Little
Round Top and immediately 
dispatched two brigades to take 
position.  The 20th Maine and 
140th New York rushed to fill 
the gap - at the same time, 
Confederate brigades led by 
Robertson and Law rushed to 
exploit the position.

The battle began as the 47th 
and 15th Alabama met the 20th 
Maine near the crest of the 
hill.  Outnumbered three to 
one, the Union batallion soon 
found itself with almost half 
of their numbers gone, and the 
reest scrounging ammo from the 
dead.  They had two options:
flee or charge.  They chose to 
charge the Confederates.

The 20th Maine was led by 
Colonel Chamberlain, who gave 
the order to fix bayonets and 
charge the Confederates.  The 
Alabama brigades were suprised 
by the attack to say the least,
some fought while others ran 
"like a herd of wild cattle."

At the end of the battle, the 
Union was able to take the hill;
the Union flank was secure.