Sedgwick Monument is a memorial to Union General
John Sedgwick
John Sedgwick (September 13, 1813 – May 9, 1864) was a military officer and Union Army general during the American Civil War.
He was wounded three times at the Battle of Antietam while leading his division in an unsuccessful assault against Co ...
at
West Point
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
. "Uncle John" Sedgwick was born in Cornwall, Connecticut, northeast of West Point, New York. Sculpted by
Launt Thompson
Launt Thompson (February 8, 1833 – September 26, 1894) was an American sculptor.
Biography
He was born in Abbeyleix, Ireland. Due to the Great Famine occurring in Ireland at the time, he emigrated to the United States in 1847 with his widowe ...
and dedicated in 1868, the monument was erected by officers and soldiers of the 6th Army Corps to commemorate Major General Sedgwick and his death at the
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 186 ...
in 1864. Originally, the monument was located on the northwest edge of
the Plain
The Plain (french: La Plaine), better known as The Marsh (french: Le Marais), was the majority of independent deputies in the French National Convention during the French Revolution. They sat between the Girondists on their right and Montagnar ...
, it was later relocated to its current location at
Trophy Point
Trophy Point is a scenic overlook of the Hudson River Valley located at West Point, New York. It has been the subject of numerous works of art since the early 19th century. Trophy Point is the location of Battle Monument, one of the largest column ...
across Washington Road from
Battle Monument
The Battle Monument, located in Battle Monument Square on North Calvert Street between East Fayette and East Lexington Streets in Baltimore, Maryland, commemorates the Battle of Baltimore with the British fleet of the Royal Navy's bombardment ...
. Legend holds that if a cadet is deficient in academics, the cadet should go to the monument at midnight the night before the term-end examination, in full dress, under arms, and spin the rowels on the monument's spurs. With the resulting good luck, the cadet will pass the test.
References
{{USMA
Monuments and memorials at West Point
1868 sculptures
Bronze sculptures in New York (state)
Statues in New York (state)
1868 establishments in New York (state)