John Sedgwick | |
|---|---|
 Sedgwick in the 1860s | |
| Nickname(s) | "Uncle John" |
| Born | (1813-09-13)September 13, 1813 Cornwall, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | May 9, 1864(1864-05-09) (aged 50) Spotsylvania County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Buried | Cornwall Hollow Cemetery (Cornwall, Connecticut) |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service | United States Army (Union Army) |
| Years of service | 1837–1864 |
| Rank |  Major general |
| Commands | VI Corps |
| Battles / wars | Seminole Wars Mexican–American War Utah War Indian Wars American Civil War † |
| Other work | Teacher |
| Signature |  |
John Sedgwick (September 13, 1813 – May 9, 1864) was an American military officer who served as aUnion Army general during theAmerican Civil War.
He was wounded three times at theBattle of Antietam while leading his division in an unsuccessful assault against Confederate forces, causing him to miss theBattle of Fredericksburg. Under his command, theVI Corps played an important role in theChancellorsville Campaign by engaging Confederate troops at theSecond Battle of Fredericksburg and theBattle of Salem Church. His corps was the last to arrive at theBattle of Gettysburg and thus did not see much action. Sedgwick was killed by asharpshooter at theBattle of Spotsylvania Court House on May 9, 1864, making him and Major GeneralsJames B. McPherson,Joseph K. Mansfield, andJohn F. Reynolds the highest-ranking Union officers to be killed in the war. He is remembered for anironic remark among his last words: "They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance."
Sedgwick was born in theLitchfield Hills town ofCornwall, Connecticut.[1] He was named after his grandfather, John Sedgwick (brother ofTheodore Sedgwick), who wasLieutenant Colonel of the 14th Regiment of Connecticut Militia during theAmerican Revolutionary War.[2] He attended Sharon Academy for 2 years and Cheshire Academy in 1830–31. After teaching for two years, he attended theUnited States Military Academy, graduated in 1837 ranked 24th of 50, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army's artillery branch. He fought in theSeminole Wars and received twobrevet promotions in theMexican–American War, to captain forContreras andChurubusco, and to major forChapultepec. After returning from Mexico, he was promoted to the permanent rank of captain in 1849 and replacedJames Duncan as commander ofBattery A, 2nd U.S. Artillery. In March 1855, Sedgwick accepted a transfer promotion to the rank of major with theUnited States Cavalry. He served inKansas, in theUtah War, and in theIndian Wars, participating during 1857 in apunitive expedition against the Cheyenne.[3][4]
In the summer and fall of 1860, Sedgwick commanded an expedition to establish a new fort on the Platte River in what is now Colorado. This was a remote location with no railroads, and all supplies having to be carried long distances by riverboat, wagon train or horseback.[5] Even though many of these supplies failed to arrive, Sedgwick still managed to erect comfortable stone buildings for his men before the cold weather set in.
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At the start of theAmerican Civil War, Sedgwick was serving as acolonel and assistant inspector general of the Military Department of Washington. He missed the early action of the war at theFirst Battle of Bull Run, recovering fromcholera. Promoted tobrigadier general on August 31, 1861, he commanded the 2nd brigade ofMaj. Gen.Samuel P. Heintzelman's division in theArmy of the Potomac, then his own division, which was designated the 2nd division of the II Corps for thePeninsula Campaign. InVirginia, he fought atYorktown andSeven Pines. During theSeven Days Battles, Sedgwick's division fought atSavage's Station andGlendale, being wounded in the latter engagement. After the Seven Days Battles, he was promoted to major general. The II Corps and Sedgwick's division were not involved in theNorthern Virginia Campaign.
In theBattle of Antietam,II Corps commander Maj. Gen.Edwin V. Sumner impulsively sent Sedgwick's division in a mass assault without properreconnaissance. His division was engaged byConfederate forces under Maj. Gen.Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson from three sides, was routed, and fell back with barely half the men it had started with. Sedgwick himself was shot three times, in the wrist, leg, and shoulder, and was out of action until after theBattle of Fredericksburg.
From December 26, 1862, he briefly led the II Corps and theIX Corps, and then finally theVI Corps of the Army of the Potomac, which he commanded until his death in 1864. During theSecond Battle of Fredericksburg, his corps faced Fredericksburg in an initial holding action while Maj. Gen.Joseph Hooker's other four corps maneuvered againstRobert E. Lee's left flank (10 miles east at Chancellorsville). Sedgwick was slow to take action, but eventually crossed theRappahannock River and assaulted Maj. Gen.Jubal Early's small force on Marye's Heights on May 3 during theSecond Battle of Fredericksburg. Moving west slowly to join forces with Hooker and trap Lee between the halves of the army, he was stopped by elements of Lee's Second Corps (under Maj. Gen.J.E.B. Stuart, following the wounding of Jackson) at theBattle of Salem Church, forcing his eventual retreat back over the Rappahannock.
At theBattle of Gettysburg, his corps arrived late on July 2, and as a result only a few units were able to take part in the final Union counterattacks in theWheatfield. It was not kept together as a unit during the second and third days of the battle, its brigades scattered around to plug holes in the line. While much of Sedgwick's VI Corps was held in reserve at Gettysburg, it performed exceptionally at theSecond Battle of Rappahannock Station in November, capturing four field pieces, eight stands of enemy colors and 1,700 prisoners.[6]
Prior to the start of theOverland Campaign in the spring of 1864,George Meade reorganized the Army of the Potomac and dropped several underperforming generals. Sedgwick narrowly missed the chopping block, being that he was unpopular with Secretary of WarEdwin Stanton for being a vocal admirer of departed Army of the Potomac commanderGeorge McClellan and for having shown insufficient enthusiasm for abolitionism and the Radical Republican platform. Sedgwick had also made enemies among the Radical Republicans by criticizing GeneralBenjamin Butler, one of their favorites. Meade, realizing this, proposed reassigning Sedgwick to command in theShenandoah Valley. Sedgwick himself acknowledged that he was war-weary by this point and would have welcomed reassignment to a post where not much fighting was expected. In a letter to his sister, he said that he could gladly leave the army without regret and wished to come home to New England. In the end however, GeneralFranz Sigel got the Shenandoah Valley command, which ended up being a much more active theater in 1864 than anyone expected, and Sedgwick remained in command of the VI Corps.
In the Overland Campaign, the VI Corps was on the Union right at theBattle of the Wilderness and defended against assaults by Lt. Gen.Richard S. Ewell's Second Corps.
Sedgwick died at the beginning of theBattle of Spotsylvania Court House, on May 9, 1864. His corps was probing skirmish lines ahead of the left flank of Confederate defenses and he was directing artillery placements. Confederatesharpshooters were about 1,000 yards (900 m) away, and their shots caused members of his staff, infantrymen from the 87th Pennsylvania and 14th New Jersey, and artillerymen from the 1st Massachusetts, to duck for cover. Sedgwick strode around in the open and was quoted as saying, "What? Men dodging this way for single bullets? What will you do when they open fire along the whole line?" Although ashamed, his men continued to flinch and he said, "Why are you dodging like this? They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance."[7]
Reports that he never finished the sentence are apocryphal, although the line was among his last words.[8] He was shot by aWhitworth rifle bullet moments later under the left eye and mortally wounded. His chief of staffMartin T. McMahon said that the sharpshooters' bullets were flying all around, making whistling noises, and "The same shrill whistle closing with a dull, heavy stroke interrupted me, and I remember distinctly that I commenced to say 'General, they are firing explosive bullets.' when his face turned slowly to me, and blood spurting from his left cheek under the eye in a steady stream, brought to me the first knowledge of our great disaster. He fell in my direction and I was so close to him that my effort to support him failed, and I went to the ground with him." Corps medical personnel were immediately summoned, but Sedgwick never regained consciousness and continued to bleed out for some time, until his hair was soaked with blood.[9][Note 1]
Sedgwick was the highest-ranking general officer in the US Volunteers to be killed in the war. Although Major GeneralJames B. McPherson was in command of an army at the time of his death and Sedgwick of a corps, Sedgwick had the most senior rank by date of all major generals killed. However, McPherson was a brigadier general in the Regular Army and outranked Sedgwick, who was a colonel. Upon hearing of his death,Lt. Gen.Ulysses S. Grant, flabbergasted by the news, repeatedly asked, "Is he really dead?"[10]
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Sedgwick's reputation was that of a solid, dependable, but relatively unaggressive general. He was well-liked by his soldiers, who referred to him affectionately as "Uncle John". His death was met by universal sorrow; evenRobert E. Lee expressed his sadness over the fate of an old friend.George G. Meade wept at the news. Meade had recently quarreled with Sedgwick for being over-reliant on fellow corps commanderGouverneur Warren for advice, and said of him "I wish we could have parted on better terms."Ulysses S. Grant characterized Sedgwick as one who "was never at fault when serious work was to be done" and he told his staff that the loss for him was worse than that of an entire division.
Sedgwick is buried near his birthplace ofCornwall Hollow, Connecticut. An equestrian statue honors him and the VI Corps at Gettysburg National Military Park.
There is amonument of General Sedgwick atWest Point. Academy legend has it that a cadet who spins the rowels of the spurs on the boots of the statue at midnight while wearing full parade dress gray over white uniform under arms will have good luck on his or her final exam.
The following were named in his honor:
Sedgwick Avenue, a major street inthe Bronx, New York City, is named after him. An east–west street in Washington, D.C., near American University, is also named in his honor, as is another on Chicago's near north side, witha CTA station named after the street.Grand Army of the Republic Post #4 inKeene, New Hampshire; Post #12 inMilwaukee, Wisconsin; Post #17 inSanta Ana, California; and Post #37 inYork, Pennsylvania, are all named after him. A junior high school, John Sedgwick Middle School "Home of the Generals", inPort Orchard, Washington, was named after him.[16]
Farley, his home and headquarters at the time of theBattle of Brandy Station, was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1976.[17][18]
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| Preceded by | Commander of theII Corps December 26, 1862 – January 26, 1863 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander of theIX Corps January 16, 1863 – February 5, 1863 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander of theVI Corps February 5, 1863 – April 3, 1864 April 13, 1864 – May 9, 1864 | Succeeded by |
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