the confederate assaults on little round top were some of the most famous of the three-day battle and the civil war. arriving just as the confederates approached, col. strong vincent's brigade of the v corps mounted a spirited defense of this position, the extreme left of the union line, against furious assaults up the rocky slope. the stand of the 20th maine under col. joshua l. chamberlain against the 15th alabama (col. william c. oates) is particularly storied, but heroes such as strong vincent, patrick "paddy" o'rorke, and charles e. hazlett also made names for themselves.