Killer Angel Character Focus Notes: Actions and Event Key Points + Turning Points

Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee, the commander of the Confederate army, was one of the most beloved men in the American South, the darling of Virginia society. Lee is fifty-seven years old at the time of the Battle of Gettysburg, and has less than a decade to live. He is having heart trouble, which will one day kill him. Some historians have speculated that Lee may have suffered a mild heart attack during the Battle of Gettysburg, and Shaara works from that idea. Lee is a brilliant tactician, but his traditional ideas frequently conflict with the more visionary policies of Longstreet, a Confederate general who constantly advises a defensive position.

Shaara characterizes Lee as a wise old man, a brilliant commander who knows he is nearing the end of his career. Lee fervently holds on to the traditional ways of combat even while recognizing the importance of Longstreet’s newer ideas. Lee inspires his troops—even as the wounded soldiers stagger back from Pickett’s Charge, they beg him to let them attack again. Lee’s presence alone helps keep Confederate morale high. But Lee’s confidence in his army leads him to overestimate his men, causing the disaster of Pickett’s Charge.

Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain

Chamberlain is the main Union voice in the novel. He provides a different view of the war than that of Lee or Longstreet, since as a colonel, he is significantly lower in rank than they. But Chamberlain is one of the most interesting Union soldiers of the Civil War, and certainly one of the most popular. Chamberlain led a fascinating life. He was a professor at Bowdoin College at the time of the war, left the college to fight, and distinguished himself as an excellent soldier by the end of the war. It was Chamberlain who accepted the surrender of the Confederate forces at Appomattox. The novel tries to strike a delicate balance between describing Chamberlain as a college professor and as a soldier. Compared to many of his fellow soldiers, he is quite educated and thoughtful. For many, he is the easiest character with which to identify, since he is not only a citizen-turned-soldier, but is also lower ranked than the generals. Chamberlain is the idealized citizen-soldier, the man who chooses to forsake his comfortable job for his country and lives to become a renowned soldier.

Throughout the novel, Chamberlain constantly evaluates everything he sees, often poetically. He analyzes what he sees around him, and he has a much closer, more hands-on experience with the battle than many of Shaara’s other characters. He is also in a difficult position because his brother, Tom, is one of his aides. Chamberlain realizes during the novel that he may be required to order Tom into harm’s way, perhaps even to his death. Chamberlain is the soldier with the soul of a poet, and he provides the novel with some of its best and most insightful analysis of the feelings and motivations of Union soldiers during the Civil War.

General James Longstreet

After the death of “Stonewall” Jackson, Longstreet becomes Lee’s second in command. A stubborn man, depressed because of the recent death of his children, Longstreet enters the Battle of Gettysburg with high hopes of success, provided that Lee swings the Confederate army to the southeast and comes between the Union army and Washington, D.C. Longstreet knows that this strategy would make the Washington politicians force the Union commander, George Meade, to attack the Confederate army. If the Confederates dig into good ground, then they can simply destroy the Union army as it comes at them. The disagreement between Longstreet and Lee regarding this strategy, however, forms the main conflict between the two characters. Lee is continuously annoyed by Longstreet’s stubbornness, and Longstreet is depressed by Lee’s opposition to his defensive tactics.

Shaara portrays Longstreet as a man ahead of his time, someone who has seen the future of warfare and knows that it will be won through the proper use of technology. He envisions the fact that offensive warfare will become exceedingly difficult in the future. But this vision of Longstreet does not necessarily correspond to history. Longstreet became an advocate of defensive tactics after seeing how well they worked for the Confederate forces at the Battle of Fredericksburg—his belief in their efficacy did not come from some visionary understanding of the future of warfare. Longstreet had some advanced ideas, but few of them were put into effect, and those that were often failed. Lee’s decision not to follow his general’s advice was understandable as well: Lee had an impressive list of strategic victories prior to the Battle of Gettysburg. In this instance, Longstreet’s suggestion probably would have worked well, but Longstreet had made suggestions in the past that had not worked. Also, Lee’s strategies at Gettysburg were continually thwarted, sometimes by his own men. If Lee had with him at Gettysburg “Stonewall” Jackson, a man who understood Lee better than anyone else and knew how to move troops well, Lee’s strategies might very well have worked. When considered in relation to history, Shaara’s portrayal of Longstreet is decidedly too sympathetic. Longstreet takes little blame for the loss, when in fact his delays on the second and third days caused serious problems for the Confederate army’s attack.

General John Buford

A Union cavalry commander, Buford comes from the great plains of the Midwest, and dislikes the tame and political East. He has an eye for finding the best ground on a battlefield. He has been given two brigades and ordered to follow the movements of the Confederate army.

Arthur Freemantle

An Englishman sent to observe the Confederate Army in action. Many people in the Confederacy hold out hope that England will come to their aid, since the South still bears many of the traditional aspects of English society, particularly in its class structure. But realists like Lee and Longstreet know that England will never help the Confederacy as long as it endorses slavery. Fremantle is tall and thin and reminds Longstreet of Ichabod Crane. Fremantle is dismayed by the rough manners of many of the soldiers, but he is also amazed at how much the Southerners are like Englishmen. He especially admires Robert E. Lee and James Longstreet. He is very enthusiastic about the battles, but he rarely has any idea of what is really going on.

General George Pickett

Perfumed, with bouncing curly hair, George Pickett is a true dandy. Last in his class at West Point, Pickett has nonetheless risen to the rank of major general in the Confederate Army, and he leads an entire division. He is in love with a girl half his age and, in his typical melodramatic style, he has sworn to her that he would never drink. His division has not seen action in battle yet, and he longs for a chance to prove himself and his men.

General J.E.B Stuart

Stuart is the cavalry leader assigned by Lee to track the movements of the Union army. A fun-loving publicity hound, Stuart is off joyriding for the first two days of the battle, and it is his negligence that causes the Confederate army to lose track of the Union troops in the first place. Because of Stuart’s absence, during the first two days the Confederates never know where the Union troops are or what the surrounding area looks like.

Thomas Chamberlain

 Joshua’s brother and aide, also in the Twentieth Maine. Not as smart or as brooding as his brother, Tom is more social, funnier, and more easygoing. While he has been a calming presence to his brother, he soon becomes a liability when Joshua Chamberlain realizes that he might, at some point, order his brother to his death.

General Lew Armistead

At forty-six, Armistead is a widower, and his wife’s death constantly causes him sorrow. A Confederate general serving in Pickett’s division, Armistead knows that his old friend, Winfield Hancock, is on the other side of the war, serving as a general in the Union army. Armistead and Hancock will both be at the Battle of Gettysburg.

General Richard Ewell

Recently chosen to replace part of “Stonewall” Jackson’s command, Ewell has become unsure of himself after suffering an injury that cost him his leg. As Jackson’s replacement, Ewell has a great amount of responsibility, which is a source of concern to Lee. Lee is particularly troubled by the way that Ewell defers to Jubal Early.

General Jubal Early

A young, ambitious, and cold Confederate general. Like Ewell, he has been given a part of Jackson’s old command. He accepts this responsibility easily. He is capable and confident, but also pushy, particularly with Ewell. Though Ewell technically has the greater responsibility and the greater control, he defers to Early. Longstreet and Armistead despise Early.

Private Buster Kilrain

A former Union sergeant who was demoted to private for drunkenly assaulting a fellow officer. A big, stocky Irishman, Kilrain is getting old and knows he does not have many fights left in him. He becomes a friend and mentor to his colonel, Joshua Chamberlain.

General John Reynolds

An intelligent infantry general who has a gift for positioning troops, Reynolds refuses to become the commander of the Union army, a position that is then given to George Meade. Reynolds is killed shortly after the action begins at Gettysburg.

General George Meade

Recently appointed commander of the Union armies, Meade arrives a bit late to the Battle of Gettysburg. Cautious but intelligent, he makes only a brief appearance in The Killer Angels.

Sorrel

An aide to Longstreet. Sorrel is a competent but not very sociable man.

General John Hood

A major general under Longstreet’s command, Hood is Longstreet’s most competent soldier. Like Longstreet, he prefers defensive strategies, and he understands that the nature of war is changing.

General Isaac Trimble

An old general who participates in Pickett’s Charge.

General Winfield Scott Hancock

A competent, important general of the Union army, who directs much of the action at Gettysburg. He is an old friend of Confederate General Lew Armistead, who fights on the other side at Gettysburg.

General Ambrose Powell Hill

A general whose troops do much of the fighting on the first day of the battle, first with Union General John Buford’s cavalry, then John Reynolds’s infantry.

Overall Summary

The Killer Angels tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg. On July 1, 1863, the Army of Northern Virginia, or Confederate army, and the Army of the Potomac, or Union army, fought the largest battle of the American Civil War. When the battle ended, 51,000 men were dead, wounded, or missing. All the characters in the novel are based on real historical figures. They include General Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate army; General James Longstreet, Lee’s second in command; and Union Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain, who participated in one of the most famous segments of the Battle of Gettysburg, the fighting on Little Round Top.

The story begins on June 29, 1863. A spy comes to Longstreet and informs him that he has seen the Union army moving nearby. This information surprises Longstreet, because General J. E. B. Stuart is supposed to be tracking the Union army with his cavalry. Longstreet thinks the Confederate army must quickly move north to intercept the Union. The Confederates swing southeast through the mountains and toward a small town called Gettysburg.

Miles south of Gettysburg, Union Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain awakes to discover that his regiment, the Twentieth Maine, has a hundred new members—mutineers from the Second Maine. Chamberlain gives them a brief speech, asking them to continue to fight, and all but six of the men join the Twentieth Maine freely.

In Gettysburg, General John Buford, leader of the Union cavalry, rides into the town and discovers Confederate troops nearby. He realizes that the two armies may end up fighting in the town, so he takes his two brigades—approximately 2,000 men—and positions the soldiers along the hills in the area. He knows that having high ground is the key to winning the battle, since it is easier to fight from above than below. In the Confederate camp, Longstreet meets with George Pickett and several other generals.

On the morning of July 1, Lee rises and curses Stuart’s absence. He is blind without Stuart, because without him he has no idea where the Union army is. He meets with Longstreet, who wants to swing southeast and come between the Union army and Washington, D.C. Then, Longstreet says, the Confederates can use defensive tactics and have a much better chance of winning the battle. Lee refuses, because he wants to smash the Union army aggressively in one decisive stroke.

Meanwhile, the battle begins at Gettysburg when the Confederates attack Buford’s men. Buford holds the Confederates off until infantry General John Reynolds arrives. Reynolds positions his troops and fights the Confederates off, but he is soon killed. Lee arrives in Gettysburg and finds the battle in full fury. Two other Confederate generals arrive and send word to Lee that they have engaged the Union troops, who continue to pour in from the south. Lee orders his generals to attack. Meanwhile, Chamberlain’s regiment begins to move northward toward Gettysburg.

The first day’s battle ends with the Union forces retreating into the hills surrounding Gettysburg. There they dig in, setting up cannons and defensive stone walls. Longstreet is nervous—he knows that the hills are good defensive positions, and he knows that Lee plans to attack them rather than swing the army southeast toward Washington, D.C. Lee meets with his generals and is angry with General Ewell for not following his orders and taking Cemetery Hill and Culp’s Hill, thereby instead allowing the Union forces to retreat into them. Ewell is a cautious general, perhaps too cautious. Meanwhile, Buford returns to the Union camp to discover that he is being blamed for the day’s loss.

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On July 2, Chamberlain awakes and his regiment begins moving north again toward Gettysburg. On the way, his regiment discovers an escaped slave, and Chamberlain muses on the reasons behind the war and his thoughts on race. Back at Gettysburg, two of Lee’s generals—Ewell and Early—suggest that the army strike the Union’s two flanks in order to weaken it. Lee likes the plan, but Longstreet still wants to move southeast toward Washington, D.C. Lee refuses, and Longstreet reluctantly agrees to attack the Union’s left flank. As he leads his troops toward the hills to the south of Gettysburg, Little Round Top and Big Round Top, he discovers that the army has come down off the hills and into the peach orchard at the bottom. He decides he has no choice but to attack anyway, and a bloodbath on both sides is the result.

Chamberlain’s regiment finally reaches Gettysburg and is placed on Little Round Top. Chamberlain is told that he is the extreme left of the Union line, which means he can never retreat. Chamberlain and his men hold the hill against numerous Confederate attacks, but eventually they run out of bullets. Chamberlain orders a bayonet charge, and his screaming regiment, charging down the hill, frightens the Confederates into fleeing. The Union still controls Little Round Top at the end of the day, and Longstreet’s men have suffered heavy losses in the peach orchard. That night, Stuart returns, and Lee scolds him for being absent. Lee then decides on a plan for the next day: now that he has battered the two flanks of the Union army, the middle must be weakened. He will charge through the middle of the Union line and split the army in two, then destroy each half individually.

The next morning, July 3, Chamberlain’s men are moved to the center of the Union line, where it is supposed to be safe and quiet. At the Confederate camp, Longstreet tries to convince Lee one last time to swing the army toward Washington, D.C., but Lee again refuses. He is intent on attacking his enemy. Longstreet tells Lee that he is certain Lee’s plan is doomed to failure, but Lee obstinately refuses to budge. Longstreet reluctantly agrees to attack the center of the line and places Pickett in charge of the assault.

The Confederates begin with an artillery barrage in an attempt to weaken the Union artillery on the other side. Chamberlain finds himself and his regiment in the middle of this bombardment, much to his surprise, but he survives intact. Since the Confederate artillery shoots too high, not much damage is dealt to the Union batteries. The Confederate attack begins as the troops start marching across the open field toward the Union troops. The Union begins firing cannons, blowing huge holes in the Confederate line and killing hundreds of men. When the Confederates come within range, the Union soldiers open fire with their guns, killing hundreds more. Pickett loses sixty percent of his division. The Confederates soon retreat, and the Battle of Gettysburg comes to its bloody, spectacular end.

Key Facts

Setting (time): June 29–July 3, 1863

Setting (place)Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, a small farm town surrounded by a few hills and ridges: Seminary Ridge, which the Confederates control; and Cemetery Hill, Cemetery Ridge, Culp’s Hill, Little Round Top, and Big Round Top, all controlled by the Union.

• Key Characters:

  • General George Meade: Commanding general of the Union forces, he plays a crucial role in strategizing the defense and counterattacks during the battle.

  • Colonel Joshua Chamberlain: A Union officer known for his leadership at Little Round Top, where he successfully defends his position against overwhelming odds.

  • General Robert E. Lee: Commander of the Confederate Army, he makes the pivotal decision to attack the Union center, leading to significant casualties.

Protagonist: General Robert E. Lee; General James Longstreet; Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain

Major conflict: The Confederate States fight a war against the Union to establish their right to secede.

Rising action: The Confederate States fail to capture the high ground in the hills around Gettysburg, allowing the Union army to take a strategic, defensive position.

Climax: The climax of the novel might seem to be Pickett’s Charge, when the Confederates soldiers make one incredibly brave, yet utterly futile march across a field into enemy artillery. Also, some may place the climax at Chamberlain’s decision to have his officers charge at the enemy in utter desperation with bayonets instead of ammunition. Yet another interpretation might place the climax at the scene where General Lee makes his final refusal to follow General Longstreet’s advice to swing southeast toward Washington, D.C. and fight defensively instead. Longstreet knows that Pickett’s Charge will fail, and once Lee has chosen to make the charge, the Confederates’ bloody loss becomes inevitable.

Falling action: Pickett’s Charge ends in heavy losses for the Confederacy. Lee puts the Confederate army into retreat, while Chamberlain muses on the amazing sight of Pickett’s Charge earlier in the day. Longstreet and Lee know that the war will not end, but both of them suspect that the Confederacy has just lost.