{"id":134061,"date":"2021-06-20T11:14:36","date_gmt":"2021-06-20T15:14:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=134061"},"modified":"2021-06-20T11:14:36","modified_gmt":"2023-09-07T00:51:32","slug":"john-sedgwick-the-pachydermal-general","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/john-sedgwick-the-pachydermal-general\/","title":{"rendered":"John Sedgwick: The Pachydermal General & the Whitworth Sniper Rifle"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"John
John Sedgwick was a popular and effective General Officer fighting for the Union during the American Civil War.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

John Sedgwick was born in September of 1813 in the Litchfield Hills town of Cornwall, Connecticut. His grandfather had served as a General Officer during the Revolutionary War alongside George Washington. Originally commissioned into the Artillery, Sedgwick graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point in 1837 with a class rank of 24th<\/sup> out of 50.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
John Sedgwick, shown here on the right alongside a brace of his staff officers, was a professional American soldier at a time where there weren\u2019t a great many professional American soldiers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sedgwick served in both the Seminole and Mexican-American Wars, earning brevet promotions to Captain and then Major. Afterwards, he transferred to the Cavalry and served in the Indian Wars concluding with a punitive expedition against the Cheyenne. By the onset of the American Civil War John Sedgwick was a Colonel serving in Washington DC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
John Sedgwick was a cautious but successful General.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cholera nearly killed him early in the war. However, he recovered and was promoted to Brigadier General in the summer of 1861. What followed was a successful career involving a series of combat commands and ultimately promotion to Major General.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
Stonewall Jackson thoroughly trounced Sedgwick at the Battle of Antietam. MG Sedgwick was nearly killed in the exchange.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

During the Battle of Antietam, the Union II Corps Commander MG Edwin Sumner threw Sedgwick\u2019s division into a desperate assault against Confederate forces commanded by Thomas \u201cStonewall\u201d Jackson without proper reconnaissance. Sedgwick\u2019s troops were engaged from three sides and summarily butchered. MG Sedgwick was himself shot three times–in the shoulder, leg, and wrist–and retired from the field with roughly half his command remaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
Sedgwick\u2019s men revered him.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

MG Sedgwick was popular with his men. His troops affectionately called him \u201cUncle John.\u201d However, quick to speak his mind, Sedgwick remained a reliably poor politician. He had thrown his weight behind such controversial figures as George McClellan and was a vocal critic of General Benjamin Butler. The Secretary of War Edwin Stanton felt that he should have been a more vigorous proponent of abolition and what was then viewed as the Radical Republican agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
By 1864 MG John Sedgwick was a capable Union Corps commander.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By the Spring of 1864, Sedgwick was tired. He had by now been fighting for decades and had been seriously wounded multiple times. He had lost men in combat by the hundreds. He admitted in a letter to his sister that he wished to leave the Army and return home to New England. Despite some of his more unpopular political views, Sedgwick was granted command of the VI Corps holding the Union right during the Battle of the Wilderness in May of 1864 under LTG US Grant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fate, Valor, and Snipers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"John
MG Sedgwick is shown here second from the right along with a variety of Union staff officers and generals. Those guys did rock some snazzy uniforms.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Battle of Spotsylvania was the second major fight in Grant\u2019s Overland Campaign against forces under Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Fighting went on for some thirteen days and resulted in 32,000 casualties on both sides. Spotsylvania was the bloodiest battle of the campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
MG Sedgwick had no shortage of courage. His calm demeanor under fire reliably inspired his troops.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On May 9, 1864, Sedgwick\u2019s Corps was tepidly engaging Confederate skirmish lines vicinity the left flank of the Rebel defense. As was his custom, MG Sedgwick was at the front personally directing the placement of his organic artillery assets. John Sedgwick had begun his career as an artilleryman, and he had a gift for the employment of cannon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
Confederate sharpshooters armed with specialized weaponry were remarkably capable for their day.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As Sedgwick and his staff attended to the myriad tasks associated with preparing a Corps for battle, Confederate sharpshooters opened fire from 1,000 yards distant. Soldiers of this era were typically simply cogs in a gigantic machine, the purpose of which was to amass musket fire. Rank upon rank of synchronized fire is what won battles. Individual sharpshooters, particularly firing from such prodigious ranges, amounted to little more than harassment.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
Whitworth rifles fired this radically advanced forged polygonal bullet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Confederate sharpshooters this day were armed with expensive and rare British Whitworth rifles firing an elongated faceted 530-grain .451-caliber bullet. These heavy but accurate bullets made a characteristic whizzing sound as they passed nearby. Rebel snipers prided themselves on their ability to pick off gun crews at extreme distances. As the Union artillerymen and Sedgwick\u2019s own staff scrambled for cover the General strode about upright and unprotected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
John Sedgwick was not going to let a little sniper fire drive him to ground.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Survivors heard Sedgwick say, \u201cWhat? Men dodging this way for single bullets? What will you do when they open fire along the whole line?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
Not sure exactly what the hand in the jacket thing meant, but they all seemed to do it. MG Sedgwick on this fateful day let his bravery get the better of him.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sedgwick\u2019s men were indeed ashamed yet they persisted in flinching at the sounds of the Whitworth bullets flying uncomfortably nearby. The General continued, “Why are you dodging like this? They couldn’t hit an elephant at this distance.” You can likely see where this is leading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rifle<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"John
This somber-looking gentleman designed a remarkably advanced rifle during the middle years of the tumultuous 19th<\/sup> century.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The British Whitworth rifle was a product of Englishman Sir Joseph Whitworth, a successful engineer, and businessman. Whitworth did his initial experimentation into polygonal rifling with large-bore brass cannon before shrinking the concept down into something more portable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
These terrifying-looking lads were British officers during the Crimean War.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Whitworth visualized his eponymous weapon as a replacement for the general issue British 1858 Enfield then in use during the Crimean War.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
The Whitworth was a markedly better performer at long range when compared to more primitive muskets of the day. However, it was expensive and maintenance intensive.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Whitworth did indeed significantly outperform the .577-caliber Enfield in both accuracy and range. However, Sir Joseph\u2019s rifle cost four times what the Enfield did at the time. The Whitworth\u2019s radical polygonal rifling was also markedly more prone to fouling than was that of the Enfield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
The Whitworth\u2019s hexagonal bore was its most unusual feature.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The hexagonal cross section of the Whitworth\u2019s rifling combined with its unique elongated faceted projectile meant that the bullet did not have to bite harshly into the rifling as was the case for the more traditional Enfield. This meant markedly higher velocities. The Whitworth\u2019s 1-in-20 twist was also appreciably tighter than the typical 1-in-78 twist of the contemporary 1858 Enfield. In the hands of a skilled marksman, the Whitworth was known to render accurate fire at up to 2,000 yards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
The lockwork on the Whitworth was of a fairly uninspired design.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While the Whitworth barrel was radically revolutionary, the lock, trigger, and furniture were relatively conventional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
Though rare, these early 4X telescopic sights revolutionized precision riflery.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Some of these early Whitworths were fitted with rudimentary 4X Davidson telescopic sights and fired from log rests or forked sticks carried for the purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
Queen Victoria used this counterweighted contraption to hit a bullseye 400 yards distant with a Whitworth rifle.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 1860 at the first annual meeting of the British National Rifle Association (apparently a real thing back then) Queen Victoria fired the opening shot through a Whitworth in a machine rest and connected within 1.25 inches of the bullseye at 400 yards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
Confederate sharpshooters like this one had an outsized influence on the American Civil War.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Britain technically remained neutral during the American Civil War, but English companies were free to market their wares to the highest bidders. From 1862 until the end of the war, roughly 200 Whitworth rifles were sold to the Confederacy. It is estimated that there were never more than 20 of the Davidson sights in use during the course of the conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never Taunt Fate<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"John
The valiant MG Sedgwick caught a heavy Whitworth bullet to the face, suffering a pathologically unsurvivable wound.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As his staff wisely cowered nearby there was a sound described a \u201cdull, heavy stroke\u201d among all the characteristic whistling. One of the heavy Whitworth projectiles connected with the General on the left aspect of his face just underneath his eye. A shocked look on his visage, MG Sedgwick slowly turned to face one of his closest staff officers before falling forward involuntarily, a great gout of blood streaming from his massive wound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
Medics of this era were helpless to aid the fallen general. Folks with wounds this catastrophic frequently fare little better today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Medical personnel were summoned immediately, but this wound at this time was invariably fatal. The General never regained consciousness though he continued to bleed for some while. I have myself attended gunshot wounds to the head that behaved similarly. Sometimes despite simply breathtaking damage to the central nervous system the human body nonetheless fails to get the memo for a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Denouement<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"John
Sedgwick is shown here with his staff officers. His death left a mighty hole in the Union ranks.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

MG John Sedgwick was the highest-ranking Union officer to be killed during the American Civil War. Though he had a reputation for being unduly cautious at times in battle, Sedgwick was a soldier\u2019s General who was widely respected. Upon notification of Sedgwick\u2019s death US Grant purportedly asked repeatedly, \u201cIs he really dead?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
The Confederate General Robert E. Lee was a fellow West Point graduate and a personal friend of John Sedgwick. It is stuff such as this that made the American War Between the States so much more poignant.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Robert E. Lee was an old friend from before the war, and he expressed genuine sorrow at Sedgwick\u2019s demise. Union General George Meade publicly wept at the news. LTG Grant later told his staff that Sedgwick\u2019s death was a greater blow to the Union than the loss of a full division on the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
MG John Sedgwick\u2019s stern visage overlooks the grounds at the US Military Academy even today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There is a monument to John Sedgwick on the grounds at West Point that includes a massive statue of the General. The likeness was cast from metal harvested from Confederate cannon captured by Sedgwick\u2019s VI Corps. The monument was funded by veterans under his command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
MG Sedgwick\u2019s spurs are said to have been good luck charms for generations of West Point cadets.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Legend has it that any cadet who approaches the statue in parade dress gray over white uniform at midnight under arms may spin the rowels of Sedgwick\u2019s spurs and acquire good luck on any final exam. As a result, General Sedgwick\u2019s influence is still respected within the storied halls of the Military Academy at West Point today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
Skilled marksmen used their expensive Whitworth rifles to sow chaos among critical targets like Union artillery units. Over the course of two hours during one engagement a pair of Confederate snipers armed with Whitworths neutralized an entire six-gun Union artillery battery.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Whitworth rifle equipped with the Davidson telescopic sight was the world\u2019s first dedicated sniper rifle. At the time these rigs cost up to $1000 a piece (about $16,000 today). Specially-selected Confederate marksmen were trained to use these precious resources sparingly against high-value targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
President Abraham Lincoln came within a hair\u2019s breadth of being killed by a rebel sharpshooter with a Whitworth in 1864.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"John
After the battle numerous spent Whitworth slugs were recovered around where the President had been standing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On July 12, 1864, during Confederate General Jubal Early\u2019s foray against Fort Stevens on the outskirts of Washington DC, Abraham Lincoln did himself come within moments of falling to a rebel sniper armed with a Whitworth. A Whitworth round killed a Union officer mere feet from the President just before a bystander yanked the lanky Chief Executive to safety. Had that sniper connected with the somber-looking gentleman in the tall top hat the entire history of the planet might have unfolded differently. However, fate is oftentimes like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
Sometimes the fates of both men and nations turn on some of the tiniest things.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"John
The British Whitworth rifle was a generation ahead of its time.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"John<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica!<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MG Sedgwick had no shortage of courage. His calm demeanor under fire reliably inspired his troops.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":134064,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_specdata_upc":"","_specdata_placement":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,257,772],"tags":[132,2616,102,752,636],"featured":[],"hunt365":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-134061","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gunsamerica-authors","8":"category-historical-guns","9":"category-will-dabbs","10":"tag-buzz","11":"tag-civil-war","12":"tag-feature-articles","13":"tag-historical-guns","14":"tag-history"},"yoast_head":"\nJohn Sedgwick: The Pachydermal General & the Whitworth Sniper Rifle<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"John Sedgwick: The Pachydermal General & the Whitworth Sniper Rifle - Will Dabbs\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/john-sedgwick-the-pachydermal-general\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"John Sedgwick: The Pachydermal General & the Whitworth Sniper Rifle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"MG Sedgwick had no shortage of courage. 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However, shooting guns and claiming it was work seemed like a pretty sweet hustle. As a result, Will serendipitously transformed an avocation into a vocation. Raised in the Mississippi Delta, Will flew UH1H, OH58A\\\/C, CH47D and AH1S helicopters operationally as an Army Aviator. He is SCUBA-qualified and has parachuted out of perfectly good airplanes at 3 o'clock in the morning. Will has summited Mount McKinley, Alaska, six times\u2026always at the controls of an Army helicopter, which is the only way sensible folk climb mountains. Will has delivered sixty babies and occasionally wrung human blood out of his socks. He is married to his high school sweetheart and has three awesome adult children. 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