John Sedgwick
| John Sedgwick | |
|---|---|
Sedgwick in the 1860s
|
|
| Nickname(s) | "Uncle John" |
| Born |
September 13, 1813 Cornwall, Connecticut |
| Died | May 9, 1864 (aged 50) Spotsylvania County, Virginia |
| Buried at | Cornwall Hollow Cemetery, Cornwall Hollow, Connecticut |
| Allegiance |
United States of America Union |
| Service/branch |
United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1837–1864 |
| Rank |
 Major general
|
| Commands held | VI Corps |
| Battles/wars |
Seminole Wars Mexican-American War Utah War Indian Wars American Civil War † |
| Other work | Teacher |
| Signature |  |
John Sedgwick (September 13, 1813 – May 9, 1864) was a teacher, a career military officer, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. He was wounded three times at the Battle of Antietam while leading his division in an unsuccessful assault, causing him to miss the Battle of Fredericksburg. Under his command, the VI Corps played an important role in the Chancellorsville Campaign by engaging Confederate troops at the Second Battle of Fredericksburg and the Battle of Salem Church. His corps was the last to arrive at the Battle of Gettysburg, and thus did not see much action. Sedgwick was killed by a sharpshooter at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House on May 9, 1864, making him and Major General John F. Reynolds (July 1st, 1863, Gettysburg) the highest-ranking United States soldiers to be killed in the war. He is well remembered for his ironic last words: "They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance."
Sedgwick was born in the Litchfield Hills town of Cornwall, Connecticut. He was named after his grandfather, John Sedgwick (brother of Theodore Sedgwick), an American Revolutionary War general who served with George Washington. He attended Sharon Academy for 2 years and Cheshire Academy in 1830-31, After teaching for two years, he attended the United States Military Academy, graduated in 1837 ranked 24th of 50, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army's artillery branch. He fought in the Seminole Wars and received two brevet promotions in the Mexican-American War, to captain for Contreras and Churubusco, and to major for Chapultepec. After returning from Mexico he transferred to the cavalry and served in Kansas, in the Utah War, and in the Indian Wars, participating in 1857 in a punitive expedition against the Cheyenne.
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