Connecticut western news., 1890-07-09
A STORY OF THE WAR.

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 A STORY OF THE WAR.
 HOW GEN. sEDGwICK's s DEATH WAS
 AVENGED.
 D. R. Sanborn, of Harvey's Hollow, Vt., member of the 9th Vt Regiment writes to the Editor of the National Tribune, Washington, D. O., as follows:
 "Gen. John Sedgwick was one of the most popular officers during the war of the rebellion, and deservedly so, for he was not only gallant, but his tender care for the interests of the rank and file of the Sixth Corps endeared him to us all. The boys familiarly called him Uncle John, and 1t was 8 sad moment when, on the morning of the 9th of May. 1864, at Spottsylvania, the news passed along the lines, Uncle John Is dead While experimenting the plac- ing of 8 battery on our most advanced line. he was struck by bullet from one of the rebel sharpshooters and killed.
 An incident occurred that day in con- nection with his death not generally known. Immediately after the death of Sedgwick detail was ordered from the Vermont Brigade, of the Second Division, Sixth Corps. then in reserve, to go to the front as sharp shooters. Serg't Sanford G.. Grey and the writer, members of the 9th Vt., were of this detail, and under command of Lieutenant we marched out to the front in the immediate vicinity of the battery where Sedgwick fell It was then that we first heard of his death. His lifeless body was being placed in an ambulance that had been ordered up from the rear.
 We soon received our orders, which were simply to stretch along in front, each man to gain tho best position he could, and pick off as many of the enemy's sharpshooters us possible !; our attention being particularly called to reb stationed in rifle-pit directly in front of where Sedgwick was killed, who was described as big fellow wear ing 8 red shirt. This man, we were told, had shot several of our men, and it was supposed Sedgwick had received hls death wound from him. His pit was in front and to the left of our battery above mentioned, and while it was a long rifeshot distance from that point, our Eues curved III nearly upon his hauk further down to the left Our line of buttle at the position of the battery where Sedgwick fell ran toward a piece of timber :; scattering oaks and laurel brush covered the ground to our left, but to our front it was clear, the enemy's sharpshooters being stationed in front of their intrenched lines of battle. Grey and moved to the left until we came to the bend in our lines, and creeping on hands and knees through the underbrush gained, unob served by our foe, an advanced position behind pile of rails that had been thrown up as breastwork by skirmish- CTS the day before.
 Union and Confederate dead were thickly scattered all around, telling us l of the hot work our men had had in gaining tho position we then held but our thoughts were not of what had passed, but intent upon averaging the death of Uncle John.
 Reaching our position, and running our rifles through an aperture in our breastwork of rails, we patiently waited. But moment passed, when suddenly l saw, as supposed, our man of the red shirt expose himself on our right I whispered, '.There he is, Grey" and was about to fire, when Grey placed his hand on my arm, and whispered {:
 Don't fire; don't you see he has 8 red cloth upon stick, with his hat placed upon the top? He is waiting for our
 men in his front to expose themselves.
 Let me have 8 shot at that fellow l can beat you shooting. We shall see
 him in moment at the other end of his
 pit There he is now p
 But 8 second elapsed; the sharp
 report of Grey's rifle rang out upon the
 morning breeze, and as watched the
 six feet in the air, falling back into his
 pit We knew that he was at least
 badly wounded, for there was no more
 shooting from that quarter during the
 day but his red flag hung there in the
 sun all that hot May day, and many 2
 bullet sped it's way in that direction
 by it, as we had been before we had
 turne our attention to others stationed
 along our front, and, as our position
 soon became known, they greeted us
 warmly with bullets, and although fol
 time our position was warm cue, we
 were partly sheltered,' and escaped un harmed.
 : Just before sunset our lines were
 advanced, and the enemy's skirmisher, driven back nearer the line of battle
 That evening Grey and visited the piI of the big fellow with the red shirt. w. , found him in half-sitting posture a
 the end of his pit, dead. His righ hand still firmly grasped his rifle which was of the old style muzzle-load ing patch-and-ball pattern. I judged him to be 50 years of age, six feet two l inches in height, of large frame, {
 heavy brown beard mixed with graz , covering his face. He had an old , fashioned horn powder-fask hung ove , his shoulder, and leather pouch upor , a belt that surrounded his body wa. , filled with caps and bullets. He wore faded uniform, gray pair of pants ant l an old white patched cotton shirt , Grey's shot had struck him in the righ , side, probably passing through hi heart, and it is likely that he die. instantly. His undershirt, old and o , red woolen, was stretched on piece O t timber split from fence-rail with , crosspiece, over which was stretched 3 the shirt I have always thought tha , this man killed Gen Sedgwick, and tha 7 his own life, forfeited within the hour t is worthy of note.
 l Sanford G. Grey was mustered ou 8 of the service at the close of the war a f Captain of his company. Everyon ? who served in our brigade will remem a Der him as 8 gallant soldier and a tru 7 comrade. No one in our army had t braver or better record. He died il 8 1884, and as heard of it my mind wen B back to the many dangers experiences : ed with him in those days of war anl O hloodshAd and nartienlarlY that Qth a