Sedgwick Memorial — Sixth Corps Commander

This monument honors Major General John Sedgwick, one of the most beloved Union officers of the Civil War. Sedgwick commanded the Sixth Corps and was known to his men simply as "Uncle John." He was killed by a Confederate sharpshooter at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House in May eighteen sixty-four, reportedly moments after telling his troops that the enemy "couldn't hit an elephant at this distance."

His death struck the Army of the Potomac hard. General Grant is said to have called it a greater loss than that of a whole division. The memorial stands as a tribute to a commander who led from the front.