The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-05-09
THE WASHINGTON HERALD 4 .1 ssas

have no occasion to go there. and tbs
conversation was dismissed.
A few minutes later the two officers
walked toward the spot they had beer
talking about forgetting what had beer
said. The troops were moving into po'
sition. and the encmy's sharpshooters
were active.
I The whistle of their bullets disconnected
some OF the soldiers near the spot where
Gen. sSedSwick stood, ard one OF them
lodged. Gen. ScGgwick laushinsiy re-
proved the man. A little later. seeing
appetizer man dodge and drop to the
/ ground at the sound of a bullet, he said:
why, my man. I'm ashamed to see
you lodging that way. They couldn't
hit an elephant at this distance"
The man rose. saluted, and remarked
respectfully that he had once lodged a
cannon ball that otherwise would have
taken of his head. Gen. Sedgwick
smiled. and told the man to go to his
place.
At that instant there was another
whistle Of a bullet, and a thud that told
II had found Its mark. The mark was
Gen. Sedgwick.
Died with smile on Lips.
Gen. MacMahun turned to see his chief
standing for a second with blood stream
LIS jet ltIN ts
Then Gen. Sedgwick fell. so suddenly
and so heavily as to carry his chief of
staff down with him.
When they raised him the smile was
still on his lips. Water was poured on
his face from a soldiers canteen. The
blood continued to pour from the wound
under the eye. The doctors came. but
their ministrations awaited nothing. Gen.
Sedgwick had met a soldiers death.
n IL.
him fall quickly passed the sad news
down the line. These dusty and powder
stained soldiers. calloused by the horrors
OF bloody campaign. were swept with a
tremor OF grief for Uncle John" whom
they had loved well.
The body was borne from the field on
stretcher. the generals stan officers
walking sadly beside IL. The little pro-
cession was met by n member OF Gen.
Grants stan. Col. Horace Porter, who
had been sent back by Grant with a mes
sage relating TO the chiefs recent con-
versation with Gen. Sedgwick The sight
was. a common one. but look in the
eyes of one Of Gen. Sedgwick's stan as
he turned toward the body and shook his
head told Col. Porter that this was no
common loss: that II was Gen. Sedgwick
under the soldiers pail
Col. Porter rode hack with the news to
'N'- 'idh VINO was MUCH dHtCIeu. ne
body OF Gen. Sedgwick was taken to the
headquarters of Gen. Meade, and there a
rustic bier covered with a bower of green
branches was built for il. Here il rested
until night. when il was sent in an am
bulance 10 Belle Pain. on the Potomac.
detail of three men from the Eighth
Pennsylvania Cavalry. which was the
generals escort. and two staff officers
rode with II.
Washington and thence to Cornwall. in
Gen. Sedgwick's native State OF Connec-
ticut. for interment.
Clear Record.
With the passing OF Gen. Sedgwick the
army Of the Union lost one of its faith
full and gallant officers He had devoted
his life TO his profession. He had never
married. The camp was his home
Whatever the work assigned him. Gen
Sedgwick always did il cheerfully and !
and no officer in the army !
was freer from jealousy, envy. or con- |
tentious spirit than he
Many officers in both armies knew and |
esteemed Sedgwick. He had been grad !
Iated at West Point in the same class /
with Gen. Jubal A Early. who on the |
day OF his death led part Of Lees forces /:
and with Gen. Braxton Bragg. who was /
'thttStH laws IlllltdTN ADVISER. lie
had succeeded Robert F. Lee as lieuten- (
ant colonel of the Second United States
cavalry
In the twenty-four years between his
graduation and the beginning of the war
zen. SedSwick had seen much service in
he West among the Indians In 1851 he
vas successfully lieutenant colonel Of the
second Cavalry and colonel of the Fourth
cavalry. He next commanded a brigade
n the Army of-the Potomac, rising
through the grade of division com
nander to command Of the Sixth Corps.
which he had held from February. 1861 I!
In his various commands Gen. Sedgwick
lad always fought we'll He was eff
lent. reliable. bold and treless. In the
attle OF Antietam he was conspicuous
or Gallantry and was twice wounded. +
In Gen. Hooker's iil-starred Chancel-
orsville campaign the heavy work of .
arryinG Fredericksburg Heights was
erformed by Gen. Sedgwick When Gen.
zee. after finishing with Hooker. en-
ompassed SedGwick on three sides at
alem Church, with superior force Gen.
edGwick. by hard fighting and adroit
lovements. saved his command
AT Gettysburg his forced march Of
lore than thirty miles To reach the field
as notably brilliant
Under Gen. Meade the corps led by
edGwiCk had been always where the :
eaviest work WAS Ia he done On No
ember .. 1865. it had carried Lees works :
n the RappahannoCk by assault. CAP $
lring nearly A whole division with its r
'lors and guns b
In the march to the Wilderness the ?
'rps had brought up the rear. and in
Ie two days heavy fighting there had
'ught valiantly and lost heavily. ,
Tomorrow: The FcdcrnIs Break =
no., lin, :