The National tribune., 1890-06-26
A STORY OF THE WAR.
How Con. sodsuicl,s Death was Avenged.

How Con. SedgWieb's Death was Avenged.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Gen. John
Sedgwick was one of our most popular officers
during the war of the rebellion, and deserv-
eddy 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 il was 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 placing of n
battery on our most advanced line, he was
struck by bullet from one of the rebel sharp
shooters and killed.
An incident occurred that day in connection
with his death not generally known. Imme-
diately after the death of Sedgwick n detail
was ordered from the Vermont Brigade of the
Second Division, Sixth Corps, then in reserve,
to go to the front to act rs sharpshooters. Sergt
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. 1t 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 recei we'd our orders which were
simply TO stretch along in front, each man to
gain the best position he could, and pick off as
many of the enemy's sharpshooters as possible
our aJtoDblOU beIHR CHJltu w u lDD
stationed in rille-p directly in front of where
Sedgwick was killed, who was described as a
big fellow wearing red shirt. This man, we
were told, had shot several of our men, and ii
was supposed Sedgwick had received his death
wound from him. His pit was in front and to
the left of our battery above mentioned and
while II was long rine-shot distance from that
point, our lines curved in nearly upon his flank
further down to the left. Our line of battle
at the position of tho battery where Sedgwick
fell ran toward piece of timber scattering
oaks and laurel brush covered the ground To
our left but TO our front it was clear tho enc
mys sharpshooters being stationed in front of
their intrenched lines of battle. Grey and /
moved to the loft until we camo to the bend in
our lines, and creeping on hands and knees
through the underbrush gained unobserved by
our foe, an advanced position behind pile OF
rails that had been thrown up as broastwork
by skirmishers the day before.
Union aud Confederate dead were tbickly
scattered all arouad, telling us of the hot work
our men had had in gaining the position we
then held; but our thoughts were not of what
had passed, but intent upon avenging the death
OF Uncle John.
Reaching our position, and running our rifles
through an aperture in our breastwork of
rails, we patiently waited. But q moment
passed, when suddenly | saw, as ] supposed,
our man of the red shirt expose himself on our
right | 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 sec he has red cloth upon a stick with his
hat placed upon the top2 He is waiting for
our men in his front 10 expose themselves. Let
me have a shot at that fellow; / can beat you
shooting. We shall see him in moment at
the other end of his pit, There he is now !"
But second elapsed tho sharp report OF
Grey's rife rang out upon the morning breeze,
and rs watched the shot it seemed that the
victim jumped six feet in the air. falling back
into his pit. We knew that he WAS at least
badly wounded, for there was no moro shoot
ing from that quarter during the day; but his
red flag hung there in the sun all that hot May
day, aud many . bullet sped it's way in that
direction, our men on the right being deceived
by it, as VIC had beeu before We had gained
our near position. We soon Turned our atten-
ton to others stationed along our front, and, as
our position soon became known, they greeted
us warmly with bullets, aud although for q
time our position was a warm ono, we were
partly sheltered and escaped unharmed
Just before sunset our lines were advanced,
aud tho enemy sskirmisheFs driven back nearer
the line Of battle. That evening Grey aud
visited the pit of the big fellow with the red
shirt. We found him in half-sitting posture
at the eud OF his pit dead His right hand
still firmly grasped his ride, which was OF the
OLD style muAHe- loading patch aud bali pat
tern. judged him to DO 30 years of age, six
feet two inches in hight, of large frame a
heavy brown beard mixed with gray covering
his face He bad an old fashioned horn powder
flask hung over his qnoulder. and leather
pouch upon belt thdg surrounded his body
was filed with caps aud bullets. He wore a
faded uniform. gray pair of pants aud an old
white patched cotton shirt. Groy's shot had
struck him in the right side, probably passing
through his heart, and il is likely that he died
instantly. His undershirt old and of red
wooden, was stretched on piece of timbeI
split from fence.rail, with a crosspiece, over
which was stretched the shirt. An old coon
skin cap surmounted the shirt ! have always
thought that this man killed Gen. Sedgwck
aud that his own life, forfeited within the hour,
Is worthy of note
Sanford @. Grey was mustered out of the
service at tho close of the war as Captain of his
company. Everyone who served in our bri
| gade will remember him as q gallant soldier
| and true comradc. koone in our army had 4
Drawer OF better record. Ho died IN 1881 and n
/ heard of it my mind went back TO the many
| dangers / experienced with him in those day:
of war aud bloodshed, aud particularly thai
| 9th OF May, 1861, when ho made TO my mind
| his best shot in defense OF the Union.--D. Il
| SANBoKS, 9Th Vt Harvey's Hallow, VT.
.