The Penn's Grove record., 1894-01-12
HOW GEN. sEoowrck DIED.
The True Story of His killing Told In
Print for the First Time.

Print for the First Time.
The Ninth Corps, under Burnside,
lay on the left of the Sixth Corps, un.
der the Brave Gen. John Sedgwick.
His sterling worth was combined
wi h an almost feminine modesty.
and he never posed for public ap.
plause; but his achievement at Salem
Church, above Fredericksburg, when
he fought Lees victorious troops fol
five hours with a single corps, and
then safely transferred his men acros.
the river under the fire of the rebel
guns, was not surpassed in the foul
years. But, alas! his cool bravery
only served him once, as a martyr.
His corps was ordered to from
the right to the left toward North
Anna River, passing the Ninth Corps
to the rear OF it. The writer was
with others commanding the picket
line.
Located Immediately in our front,
In the arms OF a large oak that rose
above the second growth Of timber
that was skirted with our pickets,
| who were In skIrmish lines, was a
sharpshooter who had played deadly
havoc on the lines Of both the Sixth
AMI Ninth Corps, dealing death tc
every officer especially who came
within range. i had be obliged all
day t avoid his aim by hugging close
to the fine timber just back Of ouI
line. Gen. Sc igwick had been exam,
lining h~lsroutc of marcn, which must
be made in the night, when he came
through the opea pine woods where !
was. Seeing him approaching an
open space he was warned Of the dan-
ger. He smilingly replied;
captain, have you been out here
30 long that your knees are week.
Can we not dislodge the reb with a
shell? Let me sec."
Ridine out to where the view was
clear he halted his horse. lifted his
field glass to his eyes and sat thus
perhaps a half a minute, when his
SIGHT went out forever. One of the
sharpshooter's minnie balls shrieked
across tho open and pierced his fore.
heal. Hi death was in >tantaneous.
During the day an Indian nam d
Silyerheels, belonging to the arJillerv,
was shot on the skirnish line. Ills
tent mate, named Ra~tt!es1ike. was
! much bereft at the loss. He wa close
by when Gen. Sc lgaicE fell. lie wa
a great lover CT oedgwick, who had
made him several presents for dan.
ger Us service.
Coming to where ] was R~attlesnake
said: s'1oo mush! too mush. dat. He
die or me die" pointing to the S arp
shooter.
Covering himself with pine bouglls
be yentured cautiously into the open
field, stood still like a bush when the
rob was hring on the Ninth Corps,
moving swiftly when his gun smoke
spouted toward the Sixth. Almost
breath,essly ! gladly saw him enter
the woods. A few minutes only and
the crack of the rife in the tree
/ ceased forever, and Sedgwick and Sill
yerhee!s were reyensed. One long
stifed rifle shot down low in the
woods was all that came to u ears.
Rattlesnake r%eappHared, proud, erect,
rea lesS and FASTENED to me.
His hands were red in spots, so was
his bosom. / was AFRAID he had been
wounded himself. He only said Sow
ly and in bad English:
"Maior, he no want scalp" allud-
ing TO the commander OF our battal.
ion.
said, "Ah, no! that too muchy
like Injun."
lie said, mo more shooty selg-
| wick"
He had a Spencer rifle and 100
rounds of new cartridges.
He told with many gesticulatlons
how he had crept to within a few feet
of the tree, took deadly aim. and
then said, 'Drop dat shooter" The
rebel dropped his gun and his car
ridges Then he jumped to the
ground and offered to 60 anywhere.
Rattlesnake examined him to see
that he had no other weapons and
he said: "Go, GO" The sharpshoot-
err was not long in obeYlng. After he
had gone a little waythe Indian cried
out:
"Hello, reb; halt"
The reb stopped and turned when
Rattlesnake said ..Sedgwick," and
the sharpshooter's deadly work was
ended.
/ always had my suspicion as to
how that blood came on his shirt boz
som, but l do not know. One thing.
is certain, Rattlesnake did not go to
the hospital for any wound to be
dressed.-New York Press