This is John Bachelor, conversation with the author Ronald White on Great Fields, The Life and Unlikely

Heroism of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain.

The scene is January 1880, the steps before the State House in Maine, Augusta, Maine, a mob claiming to be coming to the State House to take control of the

government for one party over another. Chamberlain was drafted by the

government, the governor himself, to stand up to the mob.

He'd been staying there for several days.

And this is the scene where Chamberlain offers to stand in the way of the mob though they kill him.

He's going to stand Pat for good government.

This is Chamberlain many years later after the incident the second day of Gettysburg.

He was the professor at Bowden.

He was the president at Bowden.

He was governor of the state but this moment is what

Ron White finds to be the most important and heroic moment of Chamberlain's life. He lived till 1914. Long lived man. This is January

1980. Capital, Chamberlain is alerted and he steps forward and faces the mob and says these words,

men you wish to kill me.

Killing is no new thing to me.

I've offered myself to be killed many times when I know more deserved than I do now.

Some of you I think have been with me in those days.

You understand what you want, do you?

I'm here to preserve the peace and honor of this state until the right government is seated.

Whichever it may be it's not for me to say.

And as he concludes his words, he steps forward, opens his coat, and says,

...