Which hill was famously defended by the 20th Maine Regiment?

The hill famously defended by the 20th Maine Regiment was Little Round Top. The Union regiment held the rocky position on July 2, 1863, during the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Little Round Top anchored the Union Army's left flank. If Confederate forces had captured it, they could have gained an elevated position overlooking Union lines and threatened the flank and rear of nearby defenders. Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain's 20th Maine was ordered to hold the far left end of the Union position.

After repeated attacks left the regiment low on ammunition, Chamberlain ordered a downhill bayonet charge. The maneuver surprised the attacking Confederates and helped secure the hill. The regiment suffered significant casualties, but its stand became one of the battle's most celebrated episodes.

Little Round Top is often confused with Big Round Top, the larger wooded hill nearby. Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill were also important Union positions, but the 20th Maine's best-known action occurred at Little Round Top.