Grant Grant on Sedgwick

[trice]

General Grant in his Personal Memoirs, Chapter LXX
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Sedgwick was killed at Spottsylvania before I had an opportunity of forming an estimate of his qualifications as a soldier from personal observation. I had known him in Mexico when both of us were lieutenants, and when our service gave no indication that either of us would ever be equal to the command of a brigade. He stood very high in the army, however, as an officer and a man. He was brave and conscientious. His ambition was not great, and he seemed to dread responsibility. He was willing to do any amount of battling, but always wanted some one else to direct. He declined the command of the Army of the Potomac once, if not oftener.
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Tim

 

[Mdiesel]

From what I've read he was a good officer & adored by his men, who called him 'uncle John'. Beside the day he was killed, his worse day of the war must have been Sept. 17th 1862, when his division got flanked & routed in West Woods. But I've never read anyone really blame Sedgwick for that blunder as Sumner usually takes the brunt of criticism for that. Cant say I'd blame Sedgwick fur turning down command of the AOTP, some other fine officers did as well, like Reynolds. Also like Reynolds, he is remembered for the manner of his death. His supposed famous last words are about the worse a man could utter. Something like, " They couldn't hit an elephant at that distance..." Unfortunately thats what people tend to recall the most about Sedgwick. But I think the man defiantly deserves to be remembered for more then that.

 

[5fish]

Sedgwick gets a pass..

 

[Aussie Billy Sherman]

Very underrated Gemeral who didn't commit any real dramatic mistakes

 

[Horace Porter]

Very underrated Gemeral who didn't commit any real dramatic mistakes

Second Fredericksburg?

 

[rbasin]

Was Sedgwick ever really offered the command? He may have been considered, like Reynolds.