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Old January 14, 2013, 07:52 PM   #1
10851Man
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Join Date: April 20, 2009
Location: High Desert Mountains CA.
Posts: 410
Sgt. Grace - 4th Georgia Infantry:

I thought the account of Grace's shot was incredible.

The date was May 9th 1864, when Sgt Grace, a Confederate sniper, achieved what was considered to be an incredible shot at the time, and what is definitely the most ironic demise of a target in history.

It was during the battle of Battle of Spotsylvania Court House Virginia, when Grace took aim with his British Whitworth Rifle. His target was General John Sedgwick and the distance was said to be 800 to 1,000 yards. An extremely long distance for the time.

During the beginning of the skirmish, the confederate sharpshooters were causing Sedgwick’s men to duck for cover. Sedgwick refused to duck 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 Elephants at this distance.”

His men persisted in taking cover. As Sedgwick repeated “They couldn’t hit elephants at this distance,” Grace’s shot hits Sedgwick just under his left eye.

Sedgwick was the highest ranking Union casualty in the civil war and upon hearing his death Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant repeatedly asked “Is he really dead”.

Wonder what his first name was????
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