Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-01-10

on one sad summer day in the Wilder
ness, when he laid down his earthly life
and left the Sixth Corps orphaned, and
the army and the nation to deplore and
weep for John Scdgwick.
From Cornwall Hollow in Connecti-
cut he entered the military academy in
the year 1888. Upon graduating he
was appointed I'd Lieutenant in the I'd
Artillery, and served on the plains
against the Indians, until the brilliant
and romantic episode of the Mexican
war. At Contreras and Churubusco he
commanded his company, was compile
mented in orders and breveted captain.
At Molino del Rey he was again especi-
ally commended and was breveted Major
for Chepultepec. He especially distin-
guished himself at the attack on the
San Cosmo gate Of the City of Mexico,
and was again specially commended in
the reports. He was made full Captain
in l849 and when the new regiments
were created in 1855 he was appointed
Major of the 1st Cavalry. This ap-
pointment, wholly unsolicited and unex-
pected by him, was made. l may say,
almost by the unanimous request and
desire of the higher officers of the army.
While in this position he figured in the
miniature civil war in bleeding Kansas,
contending alternately against the disci-
Piles of John Brown and the border ruff
fans of Missouri. In march, 1861 he
was made Lieutenant Colonel of the I'd
Cavalry and in April of the same year
Colonel of the 4th Cavalry. In August,
1861, he was made Brigadier-General of
Volunteers, and the following year re-
ceiyed the full rank of Major-General.
On many battle fields, therefore, from
his boyhood onward he had ample Op-
portunity of learning what an American
soldier could do, and this, like all else
that came under his observation, he laid
away for future use, and made available
in the greater operations in which it was
his fortune to be subsequently engaged.
On the plains,. as commander of
cavalry In the monotonous, difficult,
dangerous and inglorious contests
against the Indians, he simply did his
soldierly duty, always winning the COM
mendation of his superiors, the love of
his associates and the respect of his
men.
During this period of his services at
Jefferson Barracks the cholera swept
through his command striking down
officers and men alike. Sedgwick was
spared throughout it all and a great
part of each day he spent in the hospi-
tails cheering the sick and consoling the
dying.
He was little know outside of army
circles but in the army there was no one
from the General commanding down to
the private soldier, better known or
more warmly regarded.
When the civil war commenced he
was duly ordered from the plains to the
East, duly promoted to higher commands
and found himself in 1861 Bngadier-
General of Volunteers, commanding a
Brigade in the army then being organic
ed near Washington, to retrieve the
disaster of Bull Run and to carry the
colors of the Union and the authority
of the United States into and through
and over the revolted States. -.
His selection for this command, like
that of many of the greatest of our sold
iers who were similarly selected was due
to the wise foresight and intimate
knowledge of the army possessed by the
first organizer and great commander Of
the army of the Potomac. George B.
Mcclellan. ane avn saa
When there was vacancy in the
command of Division upon the Upper
Potomac by the strange and unaccount-
able arrest, never explained. of Gen.
Charles P. Stone, Sedgwick was sent to
the command of this division, then de-
scribed as corps of observation. But
when at last the army of the Potomac
was completed and took the field in Or
ganized corps, Sedgwick's Division be-
came part of the second army corps.
Down the broad waters of the Poto-
mac in that early day in spring. amid
the thunders of artillery from feet and
fort, with waving flags and streamers
gally decked, hundreds of vessels sailed
day after day conveying the great army
of the Potomac to its destination at For
tress Monroe to begin the grand advance
on Richmond.
Sedwick's connection with those im-
portant events reveals one grand and
magnificent episode.
At Fair Oaks on the 3Oth of May
when the treacherous river rose and
seemed to sweep all hope of succor from
the left wing of the army of the Poto-
mac, on which the whole force of the
rebellion was suddenly hurled; when
bridge after bridge SO carefully con-
structed had given way. and there re-
| mained hut one over which the wafer