Battle of Little Round Top facts for kids

The Battle of Little Round Top was a very important part of the bigger Battle of Gettysburg. It happened on July 2, 1863. This battle was fought on a small hill called Little Round Top. It was a key location that both sides wanted to control.

What Happened at Little Round Top?

The Union Army, led by Joshua Chamberlain and his soldiers from the 20th Maine regiment, were defending the far left side of the Union line. This position was very important because if the Confederates took the hill, they could attack the rest of the Union army from behind.

The Confederate soldiers attacked the hill many times. Chamberlain's troops fought bravely and pushed them back each time. But after a while, they started to run out of bullets. They were in a very tough spot.

The Famous Bayonet Charge

With very little ammunition left, Joshua Chamberlain made a bold decision. He ordered his soldiers to fix their bayonets onto their rifles. A bayonet is like a knife attached to the end of a gun. Then, he ordered them to charge down the hill!

This surprise attack caught the Confederate soldiers off guard. They were not expecting the Union soldiers to run at them with bayonets. The charge was very successful, and the Confederates were forced to retreat.

Why Was Little Round Top So Important?

The victory at Little Round Top was a huge moment in the Battle of Gettysburg. It stopped the Confederate army from getting around the Union's side. Many historians believe that this success was a major turning point in the Battle of Gettysburg.

It also helped change the direction of the entire American Civil War. If the Confederates had won Little Round Top, the outcome of the Battle of Gettysburg, and perhaps the war, might have been very different. It showed the bravery and quick thinking of the Union soldiers and their leaders.

Images for kids

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  Little Round Top (left) and [Big] Round Top, photographed from Plum Run Valley in 1909

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  Little Round Top photographed in 2006

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  Little Round Top, western slope, photographed by Timothy H. O'Sullivan, 1863

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  Looking from the position of Hazlett's Battery on Little Round Top toward the Valley of Death

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  Looking from Little Round Top toward the Valley of Death (Devil's Den would be located in the left background)

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  Monument of General Warren overlooking the battlefield from Little Round Top

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  Attack on Little Round Top held by the 5th Corps commanded by General Sykes, painting by Edwin Forbes. Forbes has incorrectly depicted [Big] Round Top with two peaks.

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  LTC William C. Oates, commander of the 15th Alabama Infantry from spring 1863 to July 1864

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  Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain ordered the bayonet charge on Little Round Top.

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  Battle of Little Round Top: final assault

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  Little Round Top aka "Granite Hill" Tyson picture taken about 1863

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  Little Round Top viewed from near Devil's Den