Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick House - Cornwall Hollow, CT
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 41° 53.919 W 073° 16.396
18T E 643232 N 4639965
The house of Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick, the highest ranking Union soldier killed during the Civil War, is located at on the south side 52 Hautboy Hill Road in Cornwall Hollow, CT. However, the driveway and entrance faces Hurlburt Place.
Waymark Code: WMX7EZ
Location: Connecticut, United States
Date Posted: 12/08/2017
Views: 0
Sources:
Wikipdia: (
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Civil War Blog: (
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This historic, richly detailed, two story, wood frame structure was built by Union General John Sedgwick in the Italianate style designed by Cyrus W. Marsh just before the start of the Civil War from 1859 - 1860. The structure is five bays wide, has a center entry and two chimneys set inside the gabled roof. In front of the entrance is a portico with a flat roof supported by a pair of fluted Ionic columns. On the west side of the house is an attached full-width porch with matching Italianate details. Under the porch are full-height windows that serve as French doors.
The home is privately owned and occupied. It is shielded from the road by trees and bushes but can be viewed from the driveway and through a break in the vegetation at the junction of Hautboy Hill Rd. and Hurburt Place.
John Sedgwick was born on September 13, 1813 in Cornwall, CT. He United States Military Academy and graduated as a 2nd lieutenant in 1837. He was assigned to the in the U.S. Army artillery.
He saw service in the Seminole Wars and the Mexican-American War where he received brevet promotions to captain then major. Subsequently he transferred to the cavalry and served in Kansas, the Utah War, and in the Indian Wars.
When the Civil War began, Sedgwick was a colonel and Assistant Inspector General of the Military Department of Washington, DC. He was promoted to brigadier general on August 31, 1861 and served with the Army of the Potomac. He fought at Yorktown, Seven Pines, and was wounded in the arm and leg at the Battle of Glendale. He was promoted to major general on July 4, 1862.
He returned to action at the Battle of Chancellorsville in April of 1963. His unit arrived at the Battle of Gettysburg on June 2, 1863 and saw limited action. He then participated in the Overland Campaign.
General Sedgwick was shot and killed by a sniper at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, on May 9, 1864, making him the highest ranking Union casualty in the Civil War. He is buried near his home in Cornwall Hollow, Connecticut.
The interesting story about how he was killed as described in Wikipedia:
"His corps was probing skirmish lines ahead of the left flank of Confederate defenses and he was directing artillery placements. Confederate sharpshooters were about 1,000 yards (900 m) away, and their shots caused members of his staff and artillerymen to duck for cover. Sedgwick strode around in the open and was quoted as saying, "What? Men dodging this way for single bullets? What will you do when they open fire along the whole line?" Although ashamed, his men continued to flinch and he said, "Why are you dodging like this? They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance." Reports that he never finished the sentence are apocryphal, although the line was among his last words. He was shot moments later under the left eye and fell down dead."