Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1897-07-15
the DEATH OF sEDGWlCK.
General Porter Dcscrih. tho rail- Of the
Com,uuuG'r.

|
ComiuuuG,r.
A little before = o'clock on the
morning Of May General Grant
mounted his horse and directed me
and two other staff officers 10 accom-,
pany him to mako an examination
! of the lines in our immediate front.
This day he rode n black pony called
jeff Davis, given that name because
it had been captured il. Mississippi
on the plantation of joe Davis, a
brother of the Confederate piCSi-
dent 1t was turned into tn" quar-
tCrmastcr' = department, fr"lu which
it was purchas" 10y tn" general on
his NiCksburg campaign. III" WAS
not we'll at that time, being afflicted
with boils, and hc took Il fancy to
tho pony because it had II remark
ably easy pace, which enabled the
general to make his long daily rides
with much moro comfort than when
he used the horses he USUALLY rode
Littlo jeff soon became Il CunSpiCu-
Gus figure in the Virginia campaign.
We proceeded TO S"dgwiCk : com
mand, and the general hui IA con
ference with him III regard to tho
part his corps WAS to take in the
contemplated attack. Both officers
remained mounted during TO- inter
view. The gallant commander of the
famous Sixth corps seemed partiCu-
larly cheerful and hopeful that
morning and looked the picture of
buoyant life and vigorous health.
When his chief uttered some words
of compliment upon his recent S"rV-
iCCS and spoke Of the hurdShIpS he
had encountered Scdgwick spoke
lightly of the difficulties expert
cnced and expressed every conf
dcncc III the ability of his troops to
respond heroiCally to every demand
made upon them. When the general
i'll chief left him, SCdgwiCk started
with his staff t0muvC farther to the
front.
Our party had ridden but Il short
distance to the left when General
Grant sent mo back To SrdgWiCk To
discuss with him further II matter
which it was thought had not been
sufficiently emphasized i'll their con-
VersatiOn. While | was following
tho road | had seen him take l
heard musketry firing ahead and
soon saw the body of an officer he
ing borne from the field. Such Il
sight was SO common that ordina-
rily it would have attracted no at
tention, but my apprchcnsionS were
aroused 10y seeing several of General
SedgwiCk'S staff beside the body.
AS they Camo nearer | gave an in
Quiring look Colonel Beaumont of
the staff cast his eyes in the dirCc-
ton of the body, then looked at me
with an expression of profound Sor-
row and slowly shook his head. His
actions told the whole sad story
His heroic chief was dead
/ was informed that a. he WAS up-
preaching an exposed point of the
line to examine the rnrmy's posi-
ton moro closely General Mcmahon
of his staff reminded him that one
or two officers had just been struck
at that spot by sharlshootcrs and
begged him not To advance farther.
AT this suggestion the general only
smiled and soon after had entirely
forgotten the warming Indifferent
to every form of danger, such an ap-
peal made but little impression up
on HIM. His movements led him to
the position against which he had
been cautioned, aud he had scarcely
dism ounted and reached the spot on
foot when n bullet entered his left
cheek just below the eye, and he fell
dead. AS his lfclcss form was car
ried by II smile still remained upon
his lips. Sedgwick was essentially n
soldier. He had never married. The
camp was his home, and the mem.
bers of his staff We're his family. he
was always spoken of Familiarity rs
Uncle John, and the news of his
death fell upon his comrades with 4
sense of grief akin TO the sorrow OF
n personal bereavement.
rode off at once to bear the sad
intelligence to the general in chief
For few moments he could scarce
ly realize it and twice asked, lis he
really deadf" The shock was Sc
we're, and he could i'll conceal the
depth of his grief He said, His
loss to this army is greater than tho
loss of whole division of troops.
General Wright was ut once PLACED
i'll command Of the Sixth corps. &C.,
General Horace Porter in Century.