The Somerset reporter., 1886-06-02
Sedgwick s Death.
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SedRwick's Death.
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l"Galh's"i tcr,iew Ia The Inquirer
said Gen. Mcmahon. werc wa not
with Scdgwick. the commando ot the
Sixth corps, when he died.
Why. said Gen. McCook hr died in
McMahon's arms
Said If | remember correctly hc
was Killed with sighting gun.
No said Mcmahon. he Wu- Killed
while dressing his line of BATH.
! asked To be told about TIN, accident
and Mcmahon related it 10 III nearly a.
follows;
"Scdgwick was Killed about three mile,
! should think, from Spotsyyania court
house. have never been to Spot>ylyania
hamlet or court honse, and am told the
stone which has been put there 10 com
mcmoratc SedgWick's death i at the
wrong place. On the morning hc died
and he died near : O'Clock in the morning
Gen ScdsWiek said to me, i don't like
tne way the jersey boys are looking this
morning. They are such excellent troop>
in general that think | see that they are
discouraged with the fighting we have
already had. want you to 90 out thcre.
McMahon, and spur them up some how
stimulate their pride little. So went
out with the generals orders talked loud
enough for the troops To hear me. They
were then under the cnemy's tire, and
sharpshooters with tclc>copic rifles were
picking OF officers. didn't feel entirely
happy myself but made some remarks to
/ In. | | ,f Ia,
about To shift position and they seemed
to duck the balls coming Why it i> Il
new thing for the Jersey boys To duck
that way. The Vermont boys say they
are going To take the slime from You boys
to-day.
The brigade, which MAS one of the
very finest in our service, but had been
ordered To 90 in the open field until their
rihe-pit> should hc got ready. in which
they We're to lie. When they We're or
dercd out | saw that they looked doprc>s-
ed That terrible lighting we had in the
Wilderness, with all our wounded acCoH-
panying us on the march aftcrWar,l. their
groans and Wail> had put Il cloud over the
army. Such losses had never been known
in the army of the Potomac bNrr the
Whole Wilderness campaign there seemed
to hang IA shadow of death. 1t WAS fright
fnl. The battle of Spots sylvania happened
towards TIM middle of May; SrdgNick
was Killed on the 9th The temporary i'll
trcuchmcntS to protect our men were
made of fcnce-rails. with a little earth
thrown over them. Before the order Wa>
given for the Jersey brigade 10 march oil
by companies and get behind these Slight
rampari>, | said aloud Nov. colonel
You will move Nour men To their assigned
places. At this >aN the Jersey bows
yet mp and begin to move. w hat. ! cN-
claimed; who heard the order for You 10
move, boys. 1t WIS evident that they
were nervous. because they hadn waited
for their OWN officers 10 give tn, M orders.
"All this time the peculiar tchscopic
#.hot were comm" from the cnemys lines
not in vollcy>, hut in individual balls,
half minute or a minute apart. and they
made sort of locust noise, bother>omc
to hear After the men were arranged.
Gen. SedgwiCk came down along the line.
and he saw at one place hat "A battery. on
part of "A battery. had advanced beyond
the infantry line, and the infantry were
being annoyed by these >halp>hootcr>,
who natura ly fired toward the pieces.
The balls. falling among the men. pro-
duCcd some little annoyance. and Scdg-
wick stepped outside through the line of
battle to order these guns To be slightly
changed in position.
II went out there with him and said
general. | wish You wouldn't STAY out
here.
What is the matter. said he?
While we were speaking these sharp
shooters balls would come. m king
noise like an insect in mid~ummrr-So some
thing of scream and >omelhin. of a
grinding in the sound.
"'Why general said |, We have lost
several officers this morning .lhe>c are
tclcScopc rifles ana they are evidently
picking out the officers
-, pshaw," said zen SrdgWick, /
don believe they could hit an elephant nj
that distance
AT this moment one of those balls
came screaming through the air. and sud
denly stopped; it stopped with Il Kind of
Jumping or thudding sound. ! thought
was hit myself, and turned To ScdgWick
and there was smile on his face.
Said ! General, and repeated the
word general At that moment there
burst from his check right under the eye,
great spurt of blood, which fell upon
NY face and breast. and he turned half
] way and fell on me; he was Il heavy man,
and we both fell to the ground. myself all
covered with his blood. | called him
general repeatedly. telling him 10 speak
= to hear me | was in dreadful agony of
mind, and could not believe he Wa~ dead
Although the blood continued to pour
from his wound that smiling cNpre>>i
never left his lips. When he was shot
could see the men in that instance, de-
pres ed as ! was, crawling up ont Of their
rillc-pits and littlc rampa I, on their
hands looking at us from both directions.
can still see that sccue of surprise. as
touishment wonder, grirf all along thai
blue line We took him back through Tia
line of hattie and thcn got on my hor>"
and rode to Grants headquarters WAS
all covered with blood and when went
in first they thought was wounded
Said |. No. interpreting what they
meant,
Ina minute They all cried ont 'Seds-
wick
i burst into Tears. and sat down there
and cried