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Battle of Spotsylvania • Tour the Battlefield • Monuments & Markers • The Armies

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The monument to Union Major General John Sedgwick is at the entrance to the Spotsylvania Battlefield at the corner of Brock Road and Grant Drive, about 150 yards south of the Exhibit Shelter and the first stop on the Auto Tour. (38°13’04.4″N 77°36’52.5″W; map)

John Sedgwick was a career army officer from Connecticut who graduated in the West Point class of 1837. At the outbreak of the war he was Lieutenant Colonel of the 2nd United States Cavalry. Sedgwick was quickly promoted to brigade and then division command. He was badly wounded at Antietam, but recovered to become the senior corps commander of the Army of the Potomac. He reportedly turned down command of the Army of the Potomac just before the Battle of Gettysburg.

The Death of Sedgwick

Sedgwick was well-liked by his men, who referred to him as “Uncle John.” On May 9 he was overseeing his troops moving to the front under a light harassing fire when a passing soldier dropped to the ground in front of him after a near miss from a sharpshooter. According to his Chief of Staff, Lieutenant Colonel Martin McMahon, Sedgwick told the soldier “Why, my man, I am ashamed of you, dodging that way. They couldn’t hit an elephant at this distance.” The soldier stood, saluted, and replied, “General, I dodged a shell once, and if I hadn’t, it would have taken my head off. I believe in dodging.” Sedgwick laughed and replied, “All right, my man; go to your place.” A few seconds later Sedgwick was hit beneath his left eye and died instantly. He was the senior Union officer killed in the Civil War.

An equestrian monument to John Sedgwick is on the Gettysburg battlefield.

From the front (west side) of the monument:

Sedgwick

Maj. Genl. John Sedgwick
Born Cornwall, Litchfield Co., Conn.
September 18th, 1813.
Cadet U. S. Mil. Acmy. July 1st, 1833.
2nd. Lieut. 2nd Arty. July 1st, 1837.
1st. Lieut. ” ” April 19th, 1839.
Captain ” ” Jany. 26th, 1849.
Major, 1st. Cavly, March 8th, 1855.
Lieut. Col. 2nd Cavly, March 18th, 1861.
Colonel, 1st. Cavly. April 25th, 1861.
Brig. Genl. U.S. Vols. August 31st, 1861
Maj. Genl. U.S. Vols. July 4, 1862.

6th Army Corps

Text from the left (north) side of the monument :

Dedicated May 12th, 1887 
On the 23rd Anniversary 
of the heaviest days of fighting 
at Spotsylvania.

Text from the right (south) side of the monument:

A tribute to a beloved Commander 
by the survivors of his Corps
and their friends.

Text from the rear (east) of the monument:

Erected to commemorate
this spot where
Maj Genl John Sedgwick, U.S. Vols.
Commanding Sixth Army Corps
was killed in action on the morning
of the 9th of May 1864.

See more on the life of Major General John Sedgwick.

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