The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-02-13
, Tribute 20 General John ssds.
~SNh

In the Philadelphia Times, war an
nails, there is q detailed account of the
death of Gen. John Sedgwick in one of
the battles Of the wilderne,s. There
Is nothing specially new in the account,
but at the close is the following from
the address of Geo. VIM. Curtis at the
unvailing of Sedgwicks monu-
ment at West Point, which has
never been given to the general public:
"On the 18th Of July, 1862, Sedge.
wick was made major general Of volun-
teers. In all that great army strug-
glingin the Shiny tolls of the peninsula,
there was no officer more trusted and
beloved than this most unobtrusive man,
this almost ideal American soldier. In
person not tall, with dark hair, dark,
almost still eyes, with the tranquil as
pect OF reserved power, q man who did
not talk much or loudly, but who was
always gayly chatting his associates, who
was smilingly suspicious Of newspaper
fame, and never went to Washington; a
man of iron will, promptly obedient,
and therefore requiring exact obedience;
in council clear and swift, in action
every faculty nimbly alive, his powers
intensely concentrated, his soul glow
ing with eager purpose, as at white
heat, but not mastered either by victory
or defeat, he had all the cardinal SOL
dierly qualities, the positive masculine,
manly traits, put with them that depth
less tenderness and sweet humor which
complete the finest natures. One night
young officer of his staff whom he ten
derly loved had been absent at a merry
making and, losing his way homeward,
did not return until after daybreak. As
he entered the general, who had feared
some mischance to him, with severe
air said iuquiringly; "Well, sir2" The
young officer, grieved with the apparent
censure of the tone, began eagerly to
explain; but the generals face 80 ftened
with lnexpressible affection and, rising,
this man, who never knew wife or child,
with fathers fondness, laid his hand
upon the young mans shoulder and
quietly kissed him.
Simple in his habits and of arustic
modesty of manner, Sedgwick's humor
played pleasantly over every event.
Sitting one day at headquarters, in plain
undress, q Yankee soldier sauntered up
and said: "say, old fellow, do you live
here about headquarters
nun you do a fellow
q good turn!" 81 cannot exactly saw"
replied the generals until know what
it is." Il want an order on the COM
missary for canteen of whisky for
some friends who have come over to see
me-" "Well," said the general, "the
commissary is a friend of mine and you
can try what friendship will do, and he
wrote few words on the back of let
ter, folded it and handed it to the SOL
der. The man looked at it, and when
he saw at the bottom John Sedgwick,
he raised his wondering and abashed
eyes, gazed long and with mingled re.
spect and affection at his commander,
folded the paper carefully and put it in
his pocket. The commissary never saw
it, but doubtless some wife or child or
mother or sweetheart cherishes the
story and the paper, and loves the men,
ory of John Sedgwick.
Gas the Sixth Corps marched from
battle to battle, from the heights of
Fredericksburg toward the hills Of
Gettysburg, the indomitable will of
the general urged the men SO ardently
that they called themselves ''Sedgwicks
Cavalry" and declared they were kept
upon the gallop. They said he only
halted when his horse gave out, and
when he stopped every day to watch
from the roadside the passing columns,
the men shouted good-humoredly from
the ranks, "Get another horse and come
on; we'll wait for you, Uncle John;
we're in no hurry, Uncle John," and il
the General smiled the shout became
laugh, which broke out along the ranks
and echoed from companies and rippled
along regiments, until whole divisions
rang with the loud response of meri-
ment to "Uncle Johns" kind smiler.