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John Sedgwick (September 13, 1813 – May 9, 1864) was a teacher, a career military officer, and a Union Army
Union Army

The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S....
 general in the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
. His death at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania, was the second major battle in Lieutenant general Ulysses S....
 is often considered a well known tale of irony
Irony

Irony is a Literary technique or rhetorical device, in which there is an wiktionary:incongruous or wiktionary:discordance between what one says or does and what one means or what is generally understood....
.

wick was born in the Litchfield Hills
Litchfield Hills

The Litchfield Hills is a geographic region of the U.S. state of Connecticut located in the northwestern corner of the state. It is a term that is roughly coterminous with the boundaries of Litchfield County, Connecticut, for which it is named....
 town of Cornwall, Connecticut
Cornwall, Connecticut

Cornwall is a New England town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,434 at the 2000 United States Census....
. He was named for his grandfather, John Sedgwick (brother of Theodore Sedgwick
Theodore Sedgwick

Theodore Sedgwick , a Delegate, a Representative, and a United States Senate from Massachusetts and the fifth Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, was born in West Hartford, Connecticut....
), an American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , also known as the American War of Independence, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and Thirteen Colonies on the North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers....
 general who served with George Washington
George Washington

George Washington was the leader of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States of the United States of Americas ....
. After teaching for two years, he attended the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy

The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational United States Service academies located at West Point, New York, New York....
, graduated in 1837 ranked 24th of 50, and was commissioned a lieutenant in the U.S.






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John Sedgwick (September 13, 1813 – May 9, 1864) was a teacher, a career military officer, and a Union Army
Union Army

The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S....
 general in the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
. His death at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania, was the second major battle in Lieutenant general Ulysses S....
 is often considered a well known tale of irony
Irony

Irony is a Literary technique or rhetorical device, in which there is an wiktionary:incongruous or wiktionary:discordance between what one says or does and what one means or what is generally understood....
.

Early life

Sedgwick was born in the Litchfield Hills
Litchfield Hills

The Litchfield Hills is a geographic region of the U.S. state of Connecticut located in the northwestern corner of the state. It is a term that is roughly coterminous with the boundaries of Litchfield County, Connecticut, for which it is named....
 town of Cornwall, Connecticut
Cornwall, Connecticut

Cornwall is a New England town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,434 at the 2000 United States Census....
. He was named for his grandfather, John Sedgwick (brother of Theodore Sedgwick
Theodore Sedgwick

Theodore Sedgwick , a Delegate, a Representative, and a United States Senate from Massachusetts and the fifth Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, was born in West Hartford, Connecticut....
), an American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , also known as the American War of Independence, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and Thirteen Colonies on the North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers....
 general who served with George Washington
George Washington

George Washington was the leader of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States of the United States of Americas ....
. After teaching for two years, he attended the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy

The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational United States Service academies located at West Point, New York, New York....
, graduated in 1837 ranked 24th of 50, and was commissioned a lieutenant in the U.S. Army's artillery branch. He fought in the Seminole Wars
Seminole Wars

The Seminole Wars, also known as the Florida Wars, were three conflicts in Florida between various groups of Native Americans in the United States, collectively known as Seminoles, and the United States....
 and received two brevet
Brevet (military)

In the U.K. and U.S. military, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher Military rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank....
 promotions in the Mexican-American War, to captain for Contreras
Battle of Contreras

The Battle of Contreras, also known as the Battle of Padierna, took place during the August 19–20, 1847, in the final encounters of the Mexican-American War....
 and Churubusco
Battle of Churubusco

The Battles of Churubusco took place on August 20, 1847, in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Contreras during the Mexican-American War. The defeat of the Mexican army at Churubusco left the United States Army only 5 miles away from Mexico City....
, and to major for Chapultepec
Battle of Chapultepec

The Battle of Chapultepec was a U.S. victory over Mexican forces holding Chapultepec Castle west of Mexico City during the Mexican-American War....
. After returning from Mexico he transferred to the cavalry and served in Kansas
Kansas

The State of Kansas is a Midwestern U.S. state in the Central United States of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the United States "Heartland"....
, in the Utah War
Utah War

The Utah War, also known as the Utah Expedition or Buchanan's Blunder, was an armed dispute between Latter-day Saint settlers in Utah Territory and the United States federal government....
, and in the Indian Wars
Indian Wars

Indian Wars is the name generally used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between the colonial or federal government and the indigenous peoples of North America....
.

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. He was greatly handicapped with the non-delivery of expected supplies which were to be forwarded by wagon-train from the nearest fort in Kansas but managed to erect comfortable quarters for his men before cold weather set in. These buildings were constructed largely of stone with timber for roofs and doors. It is difficult to realize the remoteness of this post but there were no railroads west of the Mississippi River and communication with St. Louis and Kansas City was by river boat and west of that by wagon train or horseback.

Civil War

At the start of the Civil War, Sedgwick served as a colonel
Colonel (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, Colonel is a senior field officer United States Military Officer military rank just above the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and just below the rank of Brigadier General ....
 and Assistant Inspector General of the Military Department of Washington. He missed the early action of the war at the First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run

The First Battle of Bull Run, also known as the First Battle of Manassas , was the first major land battle of the American Civil War, fought on July 21, 1861, near Manassas, Virginia....
, recovering from cholera
Cholera

Cholera, sometimes known as Asiatic or epidemic cholera, is an infectious gastroenteritis caused by enterotoxin-producing strains of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae....
. Promoted to brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)

A brigadier general in the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, is a 1 star rank general officer, with the U.S....
 on August 31, 1861, he commanded the 2nd brigade of Maj. Gen.
Major General

Major General or Major-General is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of Sergeant Major General. A Major General is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of Lieutenant General and senior to the ranks of Brigadier and Brigadier General....
 Samuel P. Heintzelman
Samuel P. Heintzelman

Samuel Peter Heintzelman was a United States Army General officer. He served in the Seminole War, the Mexican-American War, the Cortina Troubles, and the American Civil War, rising to the command of a corps....
's division in the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac

The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
, then his own division, which was designated the 2nd division of the II Corps for the Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign

The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War....
. In Virginia
Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
, he fought at Yorktown
Battle of Yorktown (1862)

The Battle of Yorktown or Siege of Yorktown was fought from April 5 to May 4, 1862, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War....
 and Seven Pines
Battle of Seven Pines

The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War....
 and was wounded in the arm and leg at the Battle of Glendale
Battle of Glendale

The Battle of Glendale, also known as the Battle of Frayser's Farm, Frazier's Farm, Nelson's Farm, Charles City Crossroads, New Market Road, or Riddell's Shop, took place on June 30, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as the fifth of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War....
. He was promoted to major general on July 4, 1862.

In the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam

The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern United States soil....
, II Corps
II Corps (ACW)

There were five corps in the Union Army designated as II Corps during the American Civil War.* Army of the Cumberland, II Corps commanded by Thomas L....
 commander Maj. Gen. Edwin V. Sumner impulsively sent Sedgwick's division in a mass assault without proper reconnaissance
Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information. Militarily, its shorthand Australian, Canadian, and British form is recce , its American usage form is recon ....
. His division was engaged by Confederate
Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was a military organization whose primary mission was to provide the necessary forces and capabilities to support the National Security and defense of the Confederate States of America during its brief existence from 1861 to 1865....
 forces under Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson
Stonewall Jackson

Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson was a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War, and probably the most well-known Confederate commander after General Robert E....
 from three sides, resulting in 2,200 casualties. Sedgwick himself was hit by three bullets, in the wrist, leg, and shoulder, and was out of action until after the Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg

The Battle of Fredericksburg, fought in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, from December 11 to December 15, 1862, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate States Army Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major general Ambrose E....
.

From December 26, 1862, he briefly led the II Corps and the IX Corps
IX Corps (ACW)

IX Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War that distinguished itself in combat in multiple theaters: the Carolinas, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi....
, and then finally the VI Corps
VI Corps (ACW)

The VI Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War....
 of the Army of the Potomac, which he commanded until his death in 1864. During the Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville

The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, fought near the village of Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia, from April 30 to May 6, 1863....
, his corps faced Fredericksburg in an initial holding action while Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker
Joseph Hooker

Joseph Hooker was a career United States Army officer, fought in the Mexican-American War, and was a Major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War....
's other four corps maneuvered against Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee , was a career United States United States Army officer , an engineer, and among the most celebrated generals in American history....
's left flank. He was slow to take action, but eventually crossed the Rappahannock River
Rappahannock River

The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia in the United States, approximately 184 mi in length. It traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west across the Piedmont to Chesapeake Bay south of the Potomac River....
 and assaulted Maj. Gen. Jubal Early
Jubal Anderson Early

Jubal Anderson Early was a lawyer and Confederate States of America general in the American Civil War. The articles written by him for the Southern Historical Society in the 1870s established the Lost Cause of the Confederacy point of view as a long-lasting literary and cultural phenomenon....
's small force on Marye's Heights. 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
J.E.B. Stuart

James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart was an American soldier from Virginia and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb", from the initials of his given names....
, following the death of Jackson) at the Battle of Salem Church
Battle of Salem Church

The Battle of Salem Church, also known as the Battle of Banks' Ford, took place on May 3 and May 4, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, as part of the Chancellorsville, Virginia Campaign of the American Civil War....
, forcing his eventual retreat back over the Rappahannock.

At the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg , fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is frequently cited as the war's Turning point of the American Civil War....
, his corps arrived late on July 2 and as a result only few units were able to take part in the final Union counterattacks in the Wheatfield
Battle of Gettysburg, Second Day

During the Second Day of the Battle of Gettysburg, on July 2, 1863, Confederate States Army General Robert E. Lee attempted to capitalize on his first day's success....
. In the 1864 Overland Campaign
Overland Campaign

The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War....
, the VI Corps was on the Union right at the Battle of the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness

The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lieutenant general Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E....
 and defended against assaults by Lt. Gen. Richard S. Ewell
Richard S. Ewell

Richard Stoddert Ewell was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate States Army General officer during the American Civil War. He achieved fame as a senior commander under Stonewall Jackson and Robert E....
's Second Corps.

Death

Sedgwick fell at the beginning of the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania, was the second major battle in Lieutenant general Ulysses S....
, on May 9, 1864. His corps was probing skirmish lines ahead of the left flank of Confederate defenses and he was directing artillery placements. Confederate sharpshooters were about away and their shots caused members of his staff and artillerymen 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? I am ashamed of you. They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance." Although ashamed, his men continued to flinch and he repeated, "I'm ashamed of you, dodging that way. They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance." Just seconds later he fell forward with a bullet hole below his left eye.

Sedgwick was the highest ranking Union casualty in the Civil War. Although James B. McPherson
James B. McPherson

James Birdseye McPherson was a career United States Army officer who served as a General officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War....
 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. Upon hearing of his death, Lt. Gen.
Lieutenant General (United States)

In the United States Army, the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force, lieutenant general is a 3 star rank general officer rank, with the U.S....
 Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant, born Hiram Ulysses Grant , was an United States general and the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States ....
 repeatedly asked, "Is he really dead?"

Legacy

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; even Robert E. Lee expressed his sadness over the fate of an old friend. George G. Meade wept at the news. Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant, born Hiram Ulysses Grant , was an United States general and the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States ....
 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.

John Sedgwick is buried near his birthplace of Cornwall Hollow, Connecticut. An equestrian statue honors him and the VI Corps at Gettysburg National Military Park.

There is a statue of John Sedgwick at the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy

The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational United States Service academies located at West Point, New York, New York....
. Local legend has it that a Cadet who spins the spurs of the statue at midnight while wearing full dress uniform will have good luck on his or her exams.

Sedgwick County, Colorado
Sedgwick County, Colorado

Sedgwick County is the northeasternmost of the Colorado counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county was named for Fort Sedgwick, a military post along the Platte Trail, which was named for General John Sedgwick....
, Sedgwick County, Kansas
Sedgwick County, Kansas

Sedgwick County is a U.S. county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of 2000, the population was 452,869, and it was estimated to be 476,026 in the year 2007, making it the second-largest county in the state ....
 (Wichita
Wichita, Kansas

Wichita , is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas. The 2006 estimated population of 361,420 makes it the 51st largest city in the U.S....
), John Sedgwick Junior High School, (Port Orchard, Washington
Port Orchard, Washington

Port Orchard is a city in and the county seat of Kitsap County, Washington, Washington, United States. It is located 13 miles due west of West Seattle, Seattle, Washington and connected to Seattle, Washington and Vashon Island, Washington via the Washington State Ferries run to Southworth, Washington....
), Sedgwick, Kansas and Sedgwick, Arkansas, were named in his memory.

Presumably the fictional Fort Sedgwick John Dunbar was assigned to command in the movie Dances with Wolves
Dances with Wolves

Dances with Wolves is a 1990 in film epic film which tells the story of a Civil War-era United States Army lieutenant who travels to the American Frontier to find a military post....
 was named after General Sedgwick. This may have been inspired by the fort General Sedgwick built in Kansas in 1860.

See also



Further reading

  • Jurgen, Robert J., & Keller, Allan, Major General John Sedgwick, U.S. Volunteers, 1813-1864, published by the Connecticut Civil War Centennial Committee, Hartford 1963, 35 S.
  • Sifakis, Stewart, Who Was Who In The Civil War, New York 1988/1989, 2. Bde, ISBN 0-8160-2202-X
  • Winslow, Richard Elliott, General John Sedgwick: The Story of a Union Corps Commander, Presidio Press 1982 (Diss. University of Pennsylvania, 1970)


External links

  • Retrieved on 2008-11-01