John Sedgwick
Major General John Sedgwick
Nickname	Uncle John
Born	(1813-09-13)September 13, 1813 Cornwall, Connecticut
Died	May 9, 1864(1864-05-09) (aged 50) Spotsylvania County, Virginia
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 the highest ranking Union casualty in the Civil War, killed by a sniper at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House.

Early life[link]

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. 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.^[1]

In the summer and fall of 1860 Sedgwick commanded an expedition to establish a new fort on the Platte River in what is now Colorado. He was greatly handicapped with the non-delivery of expected supplies which were to be forwarded by wagon-train from the nearest fort in Kansas, but managed to erect comfortable quarters for his men before cold weather set in. These buildings were constructed largely of stone with timber for roofs and doors. It is difficult to realize the remoteness of this post but there were no railroads west of the Mississippi River and communication with St. Louis and Kansas City was by river boat and west of that by wagon train or horseback.^[2]

Civil War[link]

At the start of the Civil War, Sedgwick served as a colonel and Assistant Inspector General of the Military Department of Washington. He missed the early action of the war at the First Battle of Bull Run, recovering from cholera. Promoted to brigadier general on August 31, 1861, he commanded the 2nd brigade of Maj. Gen. Samuel P. Heintzelman's division in the Army of the Potomac, then his own division, which was designated the 2nd division of the II Corps for the Peninsula Campaign. In Virginia, he fought at Yorktown and 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.

General Sedgwick (seated right) with Colonels Albert V. Colburn and Delos B. Sackett in Harrison's Landing, Virginia, during the Peninsula Campaign, 1862.

In the Battle of Antietam, II Corps commander Maj. Gen. Edwin V. Sumner impulsively sent Sedgwick's division in a mass assault without proper reconnaissance. His division was engaged by Confederate forces under Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson from three sides, resulting in 2,200 casualties. Sedgwick himself was hit by three bullets, in the wrist, leg, and shoulder, and was out of action until after the Battle of Fredericksburg.

From December 26, 1862, he briefly led the II Corps and the IX Corps, and then finally the VI Corps of the Army of the Potomac, which he commanded until his death in 1864. During the Battle of Chancellorsville, his corps faced Fredericksburg in an initial holding action while Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker's other four corps maneuvered against Robert E. Lee's left flank. He was slow to take action, but eventually crossed the Rappahannock River and assaulted Maj. Gen. Jubal Early's small force on Marye's Heights. Moving west slowly to join forces with Hooker and trap Lee between the halves of the army, he was stopped by elements of Lee's Second Corps (under Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart, following the wounding of Jackson) at the Battle of Salem Church, forcing his eventual retreat back over the Rappahannock.

Horse artillery headquarters in Brandy Station, Virginia, February 1864. Sedgwick stands at the far right between Generals George G. Meade and Alfred Torbert, along with staff officers.

At the Battle of Gettysburg, his corps arrived late on July 2 and as a result only few units were able to take part in the final Union counterattacks in the Wheatfield. In the 1864 Overland Campaign, the VI Corps was on the Union right at the Battle of the Wilderness and defended against assaults by Lt. Gen. Richard S. Ewell's Second Corps.

Death[link]

Sedgwick fell at the beginning of the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, on May 9, 1864. 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? I am ashamed of you. They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance." Although ashamed, his men continued to flinch and he repeated, "I'm ashamed of you, dodging that way. They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance."^[3] Just seconds later^[4] he fell forward with a bullet hole below his left eye.^[5]

Sedgwick was the highest ranking Union casualty in the Civil War. Although James B. McPherson was in command of an army at the time of his death and Sedgwick of a corps, Sedgwick had the most senior rank by date of all major generals killed. Upon hearing of his death, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, flabbergasted by the news, repeatedly asked, "Is he really dead?"^[6]

Legacy[link]

Sedgwick's reputation was that of a solid, dependable, but relatively unaggressive general. He was well liked by his soldiers, who referred to him affectionately as "Uncle John". His death was met by universal sorrow; even Robert E. Lee expressed his sadness over the fate of an old friend. George G. Meade wept at the news. Ulysses S. Grant characterized Sedgwick as one who "was never at fault when serious work was to be done" and he told his staff that the loss for him was worse than that of an entire division.

John Sedgwick is buried near his birthplace of Cornwall Hollow, Connecticut. An equestrian statue honors him and the VI Corps at Gettysburg National Military Park.

There is a monument of General Sedgwick at West Point. Academy legend has it that a cadet who spins the spurs of the statue at midnight while wearing full parade dress gray over white uniform under arms will have good luck on his or her final exam.

The following were named in his honor:

• Sedgwick, Arkansas
• Sedgwick, Colorado
• Sedgwick County, Colorado
• Sedgwick, Kansas
• Sedgwick County, Kansas

A major street in the Bronx, in New York City, is named after him. A street in Washington, D.C. near American University is also named in his honor, as is another on Chicago's near north side. Grand Army of the Republic Post #4 in Keene, New Hampshire; Post #12 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Post #17 in Santa Ana, California; and Post #37 in York, Pennsylvania are all named after him.

In the 1990 film Dances with Wolves, Lt. John Dunbar (Kevin Costner) stays at a fictional Fort Sedgwick, presumably named after General Sedgwick. The fort in the film may have been inspired by the Fort Sedgwick built in Kansas in 1860.

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: John Sedgwick

See also[link]

	American Civil War portal
	United States Army portal
	Biography portal

• List of American Civil War generals

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Berthrong, Donald J. The Southern Cheyenne. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1979. OCLC 254915143
• Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher. Civil War High Commands. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
• Foote, Shelby. The Civil War: A Narrative. vol. 3, Red River to Appomattox. New York: Random House, 1974. ISBN 0-394-74913-8.
• Grinnell, George Bird. The Fighting Cheyennes. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1956. OCLC 419857. First published 1915 by Charles Scribner's Sons.
• Rhea, Gordon C. The Battles for Spotsylvania Court House and the Road to Yellow Tavern May 7–12, 1864. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1997. ISBN 0-8071-2136-3.

Further reading[link]

• Jurgen, Robert J., and Allan Keller. Major General John Sedgwick, U.S. Volunteers, 1813-1864. Hartford: Connecticut Civil War Centennial Committee, 1963.
• Sifakis, Stewart. Who Was Who In The Civil War. New York: Facts on File, 1988. ISBN 0-8160-1055-2.
• Winslow, Richard Elliott. General John Sedgwick: The Story of a Union Corps Commander. Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1982. ISBN 0-89141-030-9.

External links[link]

• Death of General John Sedgwick
• Short biographical sketch
• Another short bio
• Tribute site
• "John Sedgwick". Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6475. Retrieved 2008-11-01. 

Kyra Sedgwick
Sedgwick receiving a star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame, June 2009
Born	Kyra Minturn Sedgwick[1] (1965-08-19) August 19, 1965 (age 46) New York City, New York, United States
Other names	Kiko
Alma mater	University of Southern California
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1982–present
Spouse	Kevin Bacon (1988–present; 2 children)

Kyra Minturn Sedgwick (born August 19, 1965)^[2] is an American actress. She is best known for her starring role as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson on the TNT crime drama The Closer. Sedgwick's role in the series won her a Golden Globe Award in 2007 and an Emmy Award in 2010. The series will end in Summer 2012, following the completion of its seventh season.^[3]

Early life[link]

Sedgwick was born in New York City, the daughter of Patricia (née Rosenwald), a speech teacher and educational/family therapist, and Henry Dwight Sedgwick V, a venture capitalist.^[1][4][5] Her father was Episcopalian and of English heritage, and her mother was Jewish.^[6] On her father's side, she is a descendant of Judge Theodore Sedgwick, Endicott Peabody (the founder of the Groton School), William Ellery (a signer of the Declaration of Independence), John Lathrop (American minister) (1740–1816), of Boston, Mass and Ellery Sedgwick, owner / editor of The Atlantic Monthly. Sedgwick is also the first cousin once removed of actress Edie Sedgwick, a niece of the writer John Sedgwick, a sister of actor Robert Sedgwick, and half-sister of jazz guitarist Mike Stern.^[7]

Sedgwick's parents separated when she was four and divorced when she was six; her mother subsequently re-married Ben Heller, an art dealer.^[1][8] Sedgwick graduated from Friends Seminary and attended Sarah Lawrence College.^[1] She transferred from Sarah Lawrence to the University of Southern California, graduating with a theater degree.

Career[link]

At the age of 16, Sedgwick made her debut on the television soap opera Another World. During the 1990s, she appeared in several Hollywood movies, such as Singles (1992),"Heart and Souls" (1993), Something to Talk About (1995) and Phenomenon, in which she played the love interest of John Travolta's character.^[8] She starred in the Emmy Award ^[9]-winning 1992 made-for-TV film Miss Rose White as a Jewish immigrant who comes to terms with her ethnicity.^[10] She played the parts of Mae Coleman in 2003's Secondhand Lions and Stella Peck in the 2007 film, The Game Plan. She also starred alongside her husband Kevin Bacon in the 2004 film The Woodsman. She dubbed the voice of Batwoman in the animated movie Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman.

Since 2005, Sedgwick has starred in the television series, The Closer. In 2007, she began earning roughly US$300,000 per episode.^[11] Over the life of the series, she was nominated for and won several awards for her starring role as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson. She received a Golden Globe award in 2007 for her performance as lead actress, and won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2010.

The Closer will end in the summer of 2012,^[12] following the completion of its seventh season; the series's broadcaster, TNT, said that the decision to retire the series was made by Sedgwick.^[3]

In 2009, Sedgwick was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television.^[13]

Personal life[link]

Sedgwick married actor Kevin Bacon on September 4, 1988.^[1] They have two children, Travis Bacon Sedgwick (born June 23, 1989) and Sosie Ruth Bacon (born March 15, 1992).^[14] She is also the aunt of R&B/pop singer George Nozuka and his younger singer/songwriter brother Justin Nozuka (their mother is Sedgwick's half-sister). Sedgwick has identified herself as Jewish,^[15][16] and also stated that she does not participate in any specific religious activities for any faith except for attending some Passover seders.^[17] Sedgwick learned in 2011 via her appearance on the U.S. TV show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates that she and Bacon are 10th cousins, once removed.^[18][19]

Awards and nominations[link]

Until 2011, Sedgwick had made television history, being the only female actor to be nominated for an Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award every year that her show aired in the eligibility period. However, that came to an end in 2011 when Sedgwick failed to receive a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series at the 2011 Emmy Awards.

Filmography[link]

Film and video[link]

• The Possession (2012)
• Man on a Ledge (2012) .... Suzie Morales
• Chlorine (2010) .... Georgie
• Gamer (2009) .... Gina Parker Smith
• Justice League: The New Frontier (2008) (V) .... Lois Lane (voice)
• The Game Plan (2007) .... Stella Peck
• Loverboy (2005) .... Emily and also Film Producer
• On the Set with 'Secondhand Lions' (2004) (V) .... Herself
• Something the Lord Made (2004).... Mary Blalock
• The Woodsman (2004) .... Vicki
• Personal Velocity: In Conversation Rebecca, Parker, Fairuza, and Kyra (2003) (V) .... Herself
• Personal Velocity: Creating 'Personal Velocity' (2003) (V) .... Herself
• Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003) (V) .... Batwoman (voice)
• Secondhand Lions (2003) .... Mae
• Behind the Red Door (2003) .... Natalie
• Just a Kiss (2002) .... Halley
• Personal Velocity: Three Portraits (2002) .... Delia Shunt
• Conversations with Jon Turteltaub (2000) (V) .... Herself
• What's Cooking? (2000) .... Rachel Seelig
• Labor Pains (2000) .... Sarah Raymond
• Montana (1998) .... Claire Kelsky and also Associate Producer
• Critical Care (1997) .... Felicia Potter
• Phenomenon (1996) .... Lace Pennamin
• Losing Chase (1996...Elizabeth Cole and also Executive Producer
• The Low Life (1995) .... Bevan
• Something to Talk About (1995) .... Emma Rae King
• Murder in the First (1995) .... Blanche, Hooker
• Heart and Souls (1993) .... Julia
• Oliver Stone: Inside Out (1992) .... Herself
• Singles (1992) .... Linda Powell
• Pyrates (1991) .... Sam
• Mr. and Mrs. Bridge (1990) .... Ruth Bridge
• Born on the Fourth of July (1989) .... Donna, Ron Kovic's Girlfriend
• Kansas (1988) .... Prostitute Drifter
• Tai-Pan (1986) .... Tess Brock
• War and Love (1985) .... Halina

Television roles[link]

• The Closer (2005–present) .... Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson and also Co-Executive Producer (103 episodes)
• Something the Lord Made (2004) (TV) .... Mary Blalock
• Cavedweller (2004) (TV) .... Delia Byrd and also Executive Producer
• Queens Supreme (6 episodes, 2003) .... ADA Quinn Coleman
• 100 Sexiest Artists (2002) (TV) .... Herself and Host
• Stanley (1 episode, 2002) .... Park Ranger (voice)
• Door to Door (2002) (TV) .... Shelly Soentpiet Brady
• Ally McBeal (1 episode, 2002) .... Helena Greene
• American Experience (1 episode, 2001) .... Herself and Reader
• Talk to Me (unknown episodes, 2000) .... Janey Munroe
• Miss Rose White (1992) (TV) .... Rose White
• Women & Men 2: In Love There Are No Rules (1991) (TV) .... Arlene Megeffin
• Lemon Sky (1988) (TV) .... Carol
• Amazing Stories (1 episode, 1986) .... Dora Johnson
• Miami Vice (1 episode, 1985) .... Sarah MacPhail
• ABC Afterschool Special (1 episode, 1985) .... Cindy Eller
• Another World (1 episode, 1983) .... Julia Shearer

References[link]