The Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse

Sedgwick was essentially a soldier. He had never married; the camp was his home, and the members of his staff were his family. He was always spoken of familiarly as "Uncle John," and the news of his death fell upon his comrades with a sense of grief akin to the sorrow of a personal bereavement. Lieutenant Colonel Horace Porter, USA Staff

General John Sedgwick, a much-admired bachelor from Connecticut, commanded the Army of the Potomac's Sixth Corps. On May 9, 1864, Sedgwick was seated at his headquarters, a few feet behind you, when he noticed confusion among some of his troops here at the front. Ignoring earlier warnings of danger, he walked over to this spot to sort things out.

No sooner did he arrive than a sharpshooter's bullet sped past, causing a young private at his side to drop to the ground in fear. Sedgwick gently chided the man, saying, "They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance." A second shot followed, then a third—the last followed by a sickening thud. The general pitched to the ground, blood gushing from a hole just below his left eye. He was the highest-ranking Union officer to die in the Civil War.

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"The Death of General Sedgwick," by Julian Scott. In 1877, Sixth Corps veterans returned to Spotsylvania and dedicated this monument to their fallen leader. It is among the oldest monuments in the park.

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Show me all markers in:  Spotsylvania, VA  |  Spotsylvania County  |  22553  |  Virginia  |  United States of America

Sedgwick
Spotsylvania Campaign
Spotsylvania Campaign
Laurel Hill
The Race for Spotsylvania Court House
A Different Kind of War
Testing the Line: May 8-10
The Battle of Spotsylvania
No Turning Back
Grant Finds an Opening: May 12

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