ordered Caldwell's division to reinforce the III Corps in the Wheatfield. Caldwell got his division moving quickly and conducted the largest Union assault of the three-day battle. However, due to a lack of adequate command on that portion of the battlefield, Caldwell's division was hit in its exposed right flank by the Confederate division of Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws, causing great confusion and a general retreat back across the Wheatfield. Caldwell received criticism from Maj. Gen. George Sykes, the commander of the Union V Corps, who was operating nearby. General Hancock subsequently lost confidence in Caldwell and his staff conducted an investigation to determine whether Caldwell led his division properly. He was exonerated from any blame, but his reputation in the Army of the Potomac was damaged. A recent writer on Gettysburg has blamed Sykes for giving sketchy instructions to Caldwell. In March 1864, the army was reorganized and reduced from five corps to three. Caldwell was relieved of command during this reduction and saw no further combat service. Postbellum After the war, Caldwell served in the honor guard for Abraham Lincoln's funeral train. He received a brevet promotion to major general on August 19, 1865, and he was mustered out of the volunteer service on January 15, 1866. He returned to civilian life as a lawyer and a member of the Maine Legislature, but he also served as the adjutant general of the Maine Militia from 1867 to 1869. He then entered the diplomatic service as the U.S. Consul in Valparaíso, Chile, from 1869 to 1874; U.S. Minister to Uruguay and Paraguay, 1874 to 1882; U.S. Consul to San José, Costa Rica, 1897 to 1909. Caldwell died in Calais, Maine, and is buried at St. Stephen Rural Cemetery in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada. Gods and Generals Caldwell appears briefly in the film Gods and Generals played by James Garrett. He is commanding his brigade at the assault on Marye's Heights during the Battle of Fredericksburg See also List of American Civil War generals (Union) Notes References Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher. Civil War High Commands. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. . Hartwig, D. Scott. "'No Troops on the Field Had Done Better', John C. Caldwell's Division in the Wheatfield, July 2, 1863." In The Second Day at Gettysburg: Essays on Confederate and Union Leadership, edited by Gary W. Gallagher. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press,