John J. Pullen, 89; Author Stoked Interest in Civil War Hero

John J. Pullen, 89, a historian best known for his 1957 book that renewed interest in Union Army Gen. Joshua Chamberlain, died Tuesday of undisclosed causes at his home in Brunswick, Maine.

Pullen’s “The Twentieth Maine: A Volunteer Regiment in the Civil War” recounted Chamberlain’s heroism when he ordered the 20th Maine Regiment to fix bayonets and rout the Confederates during the Battle of Gettysburg.

Among Pullen’s other books are “A Shower of Stars: The Medal of Honor and the 27th Maine,” “Patriotism in America: A Study of Changing Devotions,” “The Transcendental Boiled Dinner” and “Comic Relief: The Life and Laughter of Artemus Ward.”

Born in Amity, Maine, Pullen graduated from Colby College in 1935. A field artillery captain during World War II, he worked as a reporter for the Kennebec Journal in Augusta after the war. He later worked in advertising in Philadelphia before resigning in 1965 to focus on his writing.