Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 36.djvu/222

206 entering the locality made famous by the battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse, the beginning of Grant's campaign against Richmond. Passing the Alsop house, which is still standing, and which was a hospital during the war, the carriages soon halted in front of the monument which marks the spot where General Sedgwick was killed. It is a more pretentious affair than the Stonewall Jackson shaft, but is not as impressive. It stands at the junction of a by-road with the pike, overlooking the wide field, at the other side of which were the Confederate works. Against the advice of his officers, General Sedgwick came out upon the open space at the junction of the roads, although the Confederate sharpshooters had found its range with deadly effect. The General laughed as the men dodged the bullets. "They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance," he said, as he encouraged his men to stand upright. A moment later, however, there came another whistle of a bullet, and General Sedgwick fell, with a wound in his head under the eye. He died instantly. "I met his body on this by-road," said Major Hine. "I had been at work down the road strengthening a bridge for artillery to pass over. General Grant came by. I had seen him before, but had never spoken to him. He told me that he hoped I would hurry my work, as there were some other places in the road he wanted repaired as quickly as possible. When I had finished I went up the road to report to General Sedgwick, but met some soldiers with his body, and they told me how he had been killed."

From Sedwick's monument to Bloomy Angle was a short journey. As the carriages drove through the woods, the Confederate trenches were plainly discernible, but at Bloody Angle itself the works were not so well preserved. Standing on the brow of the hill, where the fiercest fighting occurred. Colonel Bird, who was on General Barlow's staff, pointed out where he had helped to form the army assigned to attack the Confederate works at the angle thereafter to be known by its sanguinary title. "I was busy all night." he said. "As we were very near to