The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1899-12-20
KILLING OF GEN. SEDGWICK.
a Bit of War History Published Now
for the First Time.
'nthe EditOr of The State.


To thc Editor of The State.
You republished what said in the
Abbeville Medium about Cant O. b.
fantry, who was killed In skirmish
in the Philippines, Nov. 26. You gave
credit to The Press and Banner
through inadvertence, and | make no
cOmp plant, but write to make correc.
tion ia what | wrote and to tell some
strange condolences about the killing
OF Gen. Sedgwick. Lieut. Charles r.
Paul vas not in the company with
Capt. Mclaughlin and Lieut.. War
wick who were here in 1874. He came
| in 1876 with Capt. Lloyd and Lieut..
Barnhart. took him to big politi-
cal meeting at Due West, where we
had a brass band red shirts, negro De-
mocratic speakers and two pitchers on
| the stand. 1t was an interesting expe-
| ricnce for him.
Lieut.. Paul afterwards married a
daug liter OF Gen. Rains, who was an
old army officer, but resigned and
came South. He bad charge OF Con-
fedcrate foundry Ia Augusta during
the war between the States.
| Lieut.. Paul told mo that he was Sit
J ting on horse near Gen. John Sedg-
wick when he was killed by one OF Nc
Gowan's sharpshooters at Spottsylva-
MIA Court House. Paul was acting on
his staff aud Gen. Sedgwick was Civ
ing orders about bringing up some
commissary wagons. In a very few
minutes the word passed down our line
that one Of our snarpshOoters had kill
ed Il Yankee general.
Some years ago wEilc dining with
Hon. j. j. Darlington, In Washingto
ID. c., his fathor-!n-law, an elderly
min,ste", told me that he saw the body
Of Gen. Sedgwick when it landed ia
that city, and that Gen. Sedgwick was
the only man he saw during the whole
war who had been killed In battle.
| was standing in the broad road
laaling to SpoLteylvania Court House
when the word came along the line
that q general had been killed by one
OF our sharpshooters at o single shot at
u distance OF 1000 yards. lis strange
that | should meet his aide after SO
many years and also the man WHO saw
the body reach Washington. In L.e's
Sharpshooters, recently puollsned,
Maj. w. S. Dunlop, who commanded
McGowan's sharpshootcrs, tells who
killed Gen. Sedgwick as follows:
We reached the backbone Of the
ridge, near the edge OF a field which
lay out beyond. Hero we could plainly
see Sedgwick' 9 corps in line Of battle
on tho crest Cf another hill, busily en-
gagged in rectifying their lines and con
structing breastw orks, with their skir
mishers well advanced. Upon these
we opened scattering fire with some
effect We discovered an angle pro
truding from their main line towards
the right OF the battalion, which
brought four gun battery with its
infantry supports placed there FOR the
defense OF the salient, barely within
reach OF our long range rifles. And tc
these Ben Powell with his 'Whitworth
and few files on the right paid
il. their respects. Presently an officer o
rank with his staff approached the sa
lient, and adjusting his field glasses
began to take observations OF the front
, A few shots only had been fired at The
, Powell's Whitworth was heard some
} distance to the right the officer wa
seen to stagger and fail, and the bril-
} liant career of that gallant and dis
, tinguished soldier, Mai. Gen. Sedg
wick, commmandant OF the Fifth Fede
raj army corps, was closed, and CLOSED
forever. Powell reported at once tha
he had killed a Federal general bu
, we knew not his name or rank until /
| came out few days later in the North
ern papers, announcing that Gen
( Sedgwick had been killed by Confed
, crate sharpshooter which fact 80 pub
lished has gone into history, but the
name OF the man behind the gun has
never before been mentioned"
Ben Powell was from Lancaster
S. G.
, There may not be much in what
have said above, but somo of the ole
soldiers may be interested In the story
ROBERT II. HEMPHILL.
, Abheville, S. g., Dsc. IL, 1899.