General John Sedgwick: A Revered Leader Felled by a Single Bullet

GENERAL JOHN SEDGWICK: A REVERED LEADER FELLED BY A SINGLE BULLET

By akirschbaum

The American Civil War is considered to be one of the bloodiest conflict on American soil. However, during this time, numerous people rose to power and used their influence for the betterment of the nation. One of these influential persons was General John Sedgwick. He led his troops through numerous battles, and fought for what he believed in. Unfortunately, he is also one of the highest-ranking officers to be killed in the war. This is his story.

The Early Life of General John Sedgwick

He was born on September 13, 1813, in Cornwall Hollow, Connecticut, to parents Benjamin and Olive (Collins) Sedgwick. He got his name from his grandfather, who had served during the Revolutionary War as a General alongside George Washington.

Sedgwick attended Sharon Academy for two years and Cheshire Academy for his education. Once he graduated, he entered the world of teaching. After another two years, he went to the United States Military Academy.

In 1837, the soon-to-be-known General John Sedgwick ranked 24th of 50. As a result, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army's artillery branch. He participated in various wars. This includes: the Seminole Wars, the Mexican-American War, the War of Contreras, the Battle of Chapultepec, and the Churubusco War.

With his bravery and participation in these war efforts, Sedgwick climbed the ladders of the rank. Once he returned from Mexico, he got a promotion to permanent rank captain and was appointed as commander of Battery A, 2nd U.S. Artillery, replacing James Duncan. His promotion did not stop there.

In March 1855, he accepted an offer to be a major in the United States Cavalry. He also served in the Utah War, Indian Wars, and the punitive expedition against the Cheyenne.

The American Civil War Begins

When the American Civil War began, Sedgwick was a military colonel. However, he did not yet see action due to cholera. Upon recovery, in August 1861, he was promoted to brigadier general. He was given the 2nd Brigade, Army of the Potomac, Major General Samuel P. Heintzelman’s division.

Then, he was given his own division. His troops loved him, and he was often referred to as “Uncle John.” Sedgwick led his troops to multiple battles, including the Battle of Seven Pines and the Siege of Yorktown. But, he received his first battle wound on June 30, 1862, at the Battle of Glendale. After a few months, he was ordered to conduct an unprepared assault on the Confederate troops during the Battle of Antietam.

His troops had an encounter with the Confederate Major General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, who caused severe casualties on Sedgwick’s men. Even General John Sedgwick was injured, being shot in the wrist, leg, and shoulder, disabling him from joining any action until the end of that year.

John Sedgwick Displays Courage & Bravery, Despite Strange Death

General John Sedgwick is considered as one of the most skilled and competent officers in the Potomac Army. However, his era was about to end. His last known war was the Battle of Spotsylvania. After dark, his troops, also known as the Six Corps, took their place in the Union Line, along with Warren's Fifth Corps on the right and Hancock's Second Corps extending to the left.

The next morning, May 9, the Union troops were not aware that Confederate sharpshooters had been preparing all morning, wounding General William Morris and other Soldiers. The staff officers of Sedgwick had cautioned him not to approach the road. However, this left his mind, and he went over there to untangle a snarl in his line.

When his men saw this, they gave him another warning to take cover, but he did not take this seriously and jokingly uttered, "They couldn't hit an elephant at that distance."

In a split second after uttering that phrase, a single Confederate sharpshooter's bullet hit his skull just below his left eye, killing him instantly. Shortly after, the news of his passing spread "like an electric shock" throughout the Potomac Army. May officers wept and General George Meade was in shock. Additionally, Grant could not believe his beloved General was gone when he heard the news.

Descriptions of Sedgwick's Death are Eerie

Due to the fact that Sedgwick's death was a strange phenomenon, there have been several reports of the incident that are just as gruesome and strange as the event's occurrence itself.

Martin T. McMaho, the VI Corps Chief of staff, gives the best description of his death, as he was one of the people closets to him at the time of his passing. McMaho explains that after Sedgwick was shot, he fell to the ground and said that there was "blood spewing from just beneath his eye like a little fountain." He went on to explain, "The same smile remained on his lips that he wore in the last moments of his mortal life."

Another witness, Lieutenant John G. Fisher recalled that, "blood spurted from the wound at least a foot and a half and saturated the bushes."

It has been said that Fisher saved a souvenir of the incident, cutting down the bush that Sedgwick bled out on, let it dry out in the sun and carved the date, "May 9" into the branch to serve as a reminder of the great leader and man that had been lost that day. It is said that he kept that branch on his mantle until his passing.

John Sedgwick’s Legacy Continues On

After his death, General John Sedgwick was buried near his birthplace. A statue was created in his honor at West Point. There was even a myth that if a cadet visited his statue at midnight and spun the rowels of the spurs on the boots while wearing a full parade uniform, they would indeed have good luck and pass their exams. There are even some places that were named after him, such as Sedgwick County, Fort Sedgwick, Camp Rankin, which was renamed Fort Sedgwick in 1865, and more.

Suggested reads:

Sources: