By Erika Norton, WPAOG Senior Multimedia Journalist

Thanks to funding from the West Point Class of 1978, the West Point Association of Graduates renovated the iconic Sedgwick Monument that sits on the Plain, including his lucky spurs. 

The Sedgwick Monument is a memorial to Union General John Sedgwick at West Point and was dedicated in 1868. Officers and soldiers of the 6th Army Corps erected the statue to commemorate Sedgwick’s death at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House in 1864.

West Point graduates may be familiar with Sedgwick’s monument for the lore surrounding the statue. Legend holds that the night before an exam, a cadet should go to the monument at midnight, in full dress, under arms, and spin the rowels on the monument’s spurs. With this good luck, the cadet will pass the test.

BG Shane Reeves ’96, Dean of the Academic Board, thanked the Class of 1978 during a ceremony on August 12, 2024 after the Grad March Back for the Class of 2028. 

“With your generosity and your commitment to the Academy, whether it’s helping the cadets with the academic program or the military program, it is really the connection to the Margin of Excellence through our great Association of Graduates that creates the special bond that is West Point,” Reeves said. “I don’t think you find in other schools across the country this type of connection between our graduates and our cadets. What you’ve done today is you’ve done something really important, which is helping to ensure that our traditions, our lore, and our history stay at the forefront.”

Watch our mini documentary about the renovation process of the Sedgwick Monument: 

FAQ for Sedgwick Monument Renovation

1. What is the Sedgwick Monument?

• The Sedgwick Monument is a memorial to Union General John Sedgwick at West Point, dedicated in 1868 to honor his death at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. Sedgwick was a West Point graduate class of 1837 and ranked 24th of 50. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army’s artillery branch. John Sedgwick was the highest-ranking general officer of the Union to die in the Civil War.

2. Who funded the recent renovation of the Sedgwick Monument?

• The renovation was funded by the West Point Class of 1978.

3. What is the tradition associated with the Sedgwick Monument?

• Cadets believe spinning rowels on Sedgwick’s spurs before an exam brings good luck.