Oh that's just ridiculous. I mean do you really expect us to believe that Sedgwick was cut down just as he was mocking enemy snipers. Why the whole thing just makes me lau---

JIASF

Speaking of Civil War generals, no doubt you guys know the story about Fighting Joe Hooker, who, wishing to impress the president with his energy, signed his dispatches, "General Joe Hooker, Headquarters in the Saddle." Regarding which Lincoln is said to have remarked that he cannot possibly trust a general who is unable to distinguish between his headquarters and his hindquarters.

Kishke:

Never heard that one before: priceless. Thanks so much.

Was it Sedgwick? I thought it was one of those French officers who famously came to fight for America: "On ne peut pas atteindre un elephant a cette dis--"

Jeremiah:

It was Sedgwik. And (sigh) once again: I do not speak French. But I'll take your word for it.

Here's a more complete account

I gave the necessary order to move the troops to the right, and as they rose to execute the movement the enemy opened a sprinkling fire, partly from sharp-shooters. As the bullets whistled by, some of the men dodged. The general said laughingly, " What! 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." A few seconds after, a man who had been separated from his regiment passed directly in front of the general, and at the same moment a sharp-shooter's bullet passed with a long shrill whistle very close, and the soldier, who was then just in front of the general, dodged to the ground. The general touched him gently with his foot, and said, " Why, my man, I am ashamed of you, dodging that way," and repeated the remark, " They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance." The man rose and saluted and said good-naturedly, " General, I dodged a shell once, and if I hadn't, it would have taken my head off. I believe in dodging." The general laughed and replied, "All right, my man; go to your place."
For a third time the same shrill whistle, closing with a dull, heavy stroke, interrupted our talk; when, as I was about to resume, the general's face turned slowly to me, the blood spurting from his left cheek under the eye im a steady stream. He fell in my direction ; I was so close to him that my effort to support him failed, and I fell with him.

But yes the irony of his nearly last words are incredible.

I found this out after visiting Gettysburg with my father in law and two of my sons this past summer. I mentioned to my father in law that there was a convention that soldiers who died naturally were portrayed on horses with all four feet on the ground; soldiers who were injured in battle were portrayed on horses with one leg raised and that those mortally wounded in battle were one horses with both forelegs in the air.
Then we saw the statue of Sedgwick where his horse has all four legs firmly planted on the ground, and my father in law pointed out that the convention must not be true.

So I research the issue and found out Sedgwick's last words and that the supposed convention did not exist.
I blogged about the trip to Gettysburg and the research here.

BTW, there's a site devoted to the Sedgwick family that suggests that the actress Kyra Sedgwick is part of the same family.

Soccer Dad:

Thanks so much for the full account. Well, there goes that quote.