Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1881-01-06

deared himself to the men who followed him
and was loved by all with love SURPRISING
the love of woman. -No-Pieture that lean
draw can give to you who knew him not an
adequate conception of how lovable that man
was - a szaa 2e-~ =
: looked forward 10 slleI future except to plan
! 'anuseinentsa for thes ensuing winter; for
AstfaneeIy enough, we had got the idea that
this war was 10 Be Continued Indefinitely and
during the rest of our lives.
We were not prophets nor the sons OF pro-
pes. What knewswe then of rthe slurfd fires
that would tighten the wilderness within lew
short months. The angel of death lowered
: over many but DC, prophetic shadowrfeh from
HE wings. Already was bis mark upon the
great centre Of our circle, and yet 10 all our
plans for the following winter, in all our dis
cussions as to what We were to do to .amuse
ourselves and our visitors, Sedgwick wac the
central figure. Amid the rain and snow, and mud
and frost, among our canvas cities our fires
burned cheerly end our hearts were light. Let
ters came and went from home and visitors by
thethousand sharedour Inequalities The Sixth
Corps headquarters, because It was Sedg7
wick's, was a central point of interest. Moth,
ing disturbed us except the occasional report
that our chief was to be taken from us to COM.
mand the Army of the Potomac. THIS com-
mand, however, although not formally offered
he had still on several occasions persstently
declined. 1t was winter of delights, but
nevertheless the day came when from major
generalsto drummerb boy there was not q dry
eye in the Sixth Corps of The Army of the
Potomac.
On our line of battle al spottsylvan,a where
on the day previous we had made an unsuc
cessful attack and suffered heavily, near
section of artillery at a fatal angie. in our
works. Genera Sedgwiek stood with General
Whittier, General Tompkins and myself, d.
recting the movement of our men then occu-
pying the rifle pits. 1t was in the early
morning and a certain feeling of gloom per.
vaded the army. Sedgwick had slept the pre-
vious night unsheltered by tent or blanket.
He seemed in excellent spirits although lit.
tie disc Juraged by the slow progress of the
campaign which seemed to be desperate fight
ing day after day with indecisive results A
few minutes before he had spoken of some of
the young officers of his staff in tender and
kindly terms of affection.
He said a few jesting words to some of the
men who passed before him as they moved
into the rifle pits His manner, attitude and
gesture as he stood indicated to the enemy
that he was an officer of rank and authority.
He wore no aniform not even sword. From
across the little valley which separated us
from the enemy's line, from one Of their sharp
shooters concealed In the woods in front of us
came the swift messenger OF death. Slowly,
without word, with sad smile upon his lips
John Sedgwick fell and his great heart ceased
TO beat: .ttt
His life blood pouring in strong. steady
stream from the wound spirited over me- /
made an effort TO sustain him 40 he fell and in
doing so fell with him. Il Eg
He uttered no word end made no sign. II
.nu1N 1,,k l.
and call his attention to the terrible effect his
fall was having on our men he would by force
OF bis great will rise up In spite of death. ]
called vainly in his ear-he made no answer.
His favOrite aid General Charles A. Whit
tier bent over him with streaming eyes, Gen.
eral Tompkins, the chief Of the artillery, and |
his surgeon DIR. Ohlenschlager raised Lin
partly from the ground and the pale and anx-
ious faces OF the men 10 the long line of rifle
pits were bent eagerly toward the group, but
such was the force of discipline that although
these mems hearts were filled with a great
sorrow, although they knew tha.a terrible
blow had fallen upon sthe,n,5 none left the |
ranks aud the silence which follows great |
tragedy fell upon the summer woods of Spott-
sylvania on that morning of saddest memo
ries
IL was my duty to report at general head
quarters that the Sixth Corps was without
commander, for General Ricketts, who was
neat in rank, understanding that it had been
the desire OF Gen. Sedgwick that his old asso
ciate General Horatio G. Wright of the first
division should succeed him. bad Informed me
that he declined TO assume the command.
When l reached general headquarters and
dismounted in front of the tent of the adjutant
general of the army, the gentle and much
loved Seth Williams, there we're 10 that tent
Gen. Williams and Gen. Hunt the chief of
artillery, and Col. Plat the Judge advocate
general OF the army, aud other old veteran
officers WHO had served through many years of
warfare.
As they saw me covered with blood, General
Williams started forward and said but one
word. .'Sedgwick 2"
could H0s answer. Each one in that tent,
old grey bearded warriors, burst into tears and
fer sDlse minutes sobbed like children mourn
ing father. Y |
They built q bower of evergreens among |
the pin. woods and laid him out upon rough |
bier made for him by soldier hands, and all |
day long there were strong men weeping by |
4his funeral couch. They came from all parts |
of the army, the old and the young, the well |
and the wounded. officers and men, to take |
their last look at the beloved chieftaln.a Many |
thousands OF brave men who. composed that |
army were familiar with death in all its |
tUEu1s NUt UuCc uOE LWlCt uau Luey seen |
strong men stricken into sudden death Not |
once nor twice had they beheld men OF high |
rank, in high command, fall amid contending |
hosts They had, perhaps, grown hardened |
and indifferent TO what was necessarily of /
frequent occurrence and the common expect
alton vi all But when the news went that |
day, like an electric shock, along the lines of |
the Army of the Potomac that John Sedg. 1
wick was dead. great loneliness fell upon
the hearts Of all, and men that scarcely ever
heard his voice many that scarcely knew him
By sight, wspt bitter tears as if they had lost
an only friend. and all recalled how on many |
OCCASIONS. hearing on the right, or left, or |
rear the thunder Of hostile guns, all anxiety |
passed away from the minds Of men at the |
simple remark, 1T must be all right, Uncle |
John 10 there" - . .z |
The Sixth Corps went on and served through |
the var. Ii stood all day long at the bloody |
angle under IRE that cut down the great |
tEess in our frOnt- Ii stood up in the wither.
ing slaughter of Cold Harbor. 1t crossed the |
great river 10 the dismal contest before Peters
burg Ii swept the valley under Sheriden al 4
with broom, and massed In almighty column |
OF bsigades, IL broke through the stubborn
lines ut Petersburg, and snapped this rebel |
lion in twain. You. men of. Vermont, led |
thai column on that memorable day in the /
spring Of g. You bore your part inthe events |
that refer 20 like gallant soldiers and patri- |
cts; but not all the giOries that succeed the |
S.h Of May. not all the triumphs achieved by |
your saIor in the later fields of the war, not all |
the tame years that have followed since, have |
edaced the memories of that one day in Spott. |
syivania when we all realized the fact that |
all cur marches vet to be made all our battle |
yet 70 be fought, all our deeds whether good |
% III would never again win word of praise |
O. censure from tine silent lips of the great man
that we loved and ,hOnored a. only soldiers
know hos TO loYe and honor leaders like
Sedgwick
Back 70 the qniet churchyard of Cornwall |
Hollow which the bow had left so many years
ago. came. accompanied by all the evidences |
Of n nations sArow. the iifeless body of that /
great and supplemented hero. s~
He sleeps beneath q simple monument |
faw