Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York
In office March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1895
Preceded by
William Bourke Cockran
Succeeded by
Amos J. Cummings
Constituency
10th district
In office March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1861
Preceded by
Guy R. Pelton
Succeeded by
Benjamin Wood
Constituency
3rd district
United States Minister to Spain
In office May 15, 1869 – January 31, 1874
President
Ulysses S. Grant
Preceded by
John P. Hale
Succeeded by
Caleb Cushing
Member of the New York Senate from the 3rd district
In office January 1, 1856 – March 3, 1857
Preceded by
Thomas J. Barr
Succeeded by
Francis B. Spinola
Personal details
Born
Daniel Edgar Sickles
(1819-10-20)October 20, 1819 New York City, New York, US
Died
May 3, 1914(1914-05-03) (aged 94) New York City, New York, US
Resting place
Arlington National Cemetery
Political party
Democratic
Spouses
Teresa Bagioli Sickles
(m. 1852; died 1867)
Carmina Creagh
(m. 1871)
Children
3
Nickname
"Devil Dan"[1]
Military service
Allegiance
United States Union
Branch/service
United States Army Union Army
Years of service
1861–1869
Rank
Major general
Commands
Excelsior Brigade III Corps
Battles/wars
American Civil War
Peninsula Campaign
Seven Days Battles
Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Gettysburg
Awards
Medal of Honor
Daniel Edgar Sickles (October 20, 1819 – May 3, 1914) was an American politician, soldier, and diplomat.
Born to a wealthy family in New York City, Sickles was involved in a number of scandals, most notably the 1859 homicide of his wife's lover, U.S. Attorney Philip Barton Key II, whom Sickles gunned down in broad daylight in Lafayette Square, across the street from the White House.[2] He was acquitted after using temporary insanity as a legal defense for the first time in United States history.
Upon the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, Sickles became one of the war's most prominent political generals, recruiting the New York regiments that became known as the Excelsior Brigade in the Army of the Potomac. Despite his lack of military experience, he served as a brigade, division, and corps commander in some of the early Eastern campaigns. His military career ended at the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, after he moved his III Corps without orders to an untenable position, where they suffered 40% casualties but slowed General James Longstreet's flanking maneuver. Sickles himself was wounded by cannon fire at Gettysburg and had to have his leg amputated. He was eventually awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.[3]
Sickles devoted considerable effort to trying to gain credit for helping achieve the Union victory at Gettysburg, writing articles and testifying before Congress in a manner that denigrated the intentions and actions of his superior officer, Maj. Gen. George Meade. After the war, Sickles was appointed as a commander for military districts in the South during Reconstruction. He also served as U.S. Minister to Spain under President Ulysses S. Grant. Later he was re-elected to Congress, where he helped pass legislation to preserve the Gettysburg Battlefield.[4]
^Devil Dan Sickles' Deadly Salients Archived June 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine – America's Civil War magazine, November 1998
^"Assassination of Philip Barton Key, by Daniel E. Sickles of New York". Hartford Daily Courant. March 1, 1859. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved November 30, 2010. For more than a year there have been floating rumors of improper intimacy between Mr. Key and Mrs. Sickles. They have from time to time attended parties, the opera, and rode out together. Mr. Sickles has heard of these reports, but would never credit them until Thursday evening last. On that evening, just as a party was about breaking up at his house, Mr Sickles received among his papers...
^"Daniel Sickles". Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
Sickles was involved in a number of scandals, most notably the 1859 homicide of his wife's lover, U.S. Attorney Philip Barton Key II, whom Sickles gunned...
Sickles may refer to: Carlton R. Sickles (1921–2004), American lawyer and congressman from Maryland DanielSickles (1819–1914), American politician and...
country. DanielSickles was a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York. He was married to Teresa Bagioli Sickles, the daughter...
professor, befriended the teenaged Dan Sickles and helped secure him a scholarship to the University. Young Sickles also moved into the Da Ponte home; he...
political enemies included Daniel Butterfield, Abner Doubleday, Joseph Hooker, Alfred Pleasonton and DanielSickles. Sickles had developed a personal vendetta...
with Teresa Bagioli Sickles, and his eventual murder at the hands of her husband, Congressman DanielSickles of New York. Sickles defended himself by...
Dan Sickles may refer to: DanielSickles (1819–1914) , American politician, soldier, and diplomat Dan Sickles (director), American documentary film director...
the site. The Sickle Oak is Located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, near the Trostle Farm. The oak is known for its use by DanielSickles on 2 July 1863...
advanced, they unexpectedly found Major General DanielSickles's III Corps directly in their path. Sickles had been dissatisfied with the position assigned...
1864, the president dispatched General DanielSickles to Nashville on a fact-finding mission. Although Sickles denied that he was there either to investigate...
in Charleston, South Carolina. Originally commanded by Major General DanielSickles, after his removal by President Andrew Johnson on August 26, 1867, Brigadier...
Chickamauga and was asked to run with Lincoln as a War Democrat in 1864 DanielSickles, former New York Congressman who led III Corps at Gettysburg David Tod...
controversial Sickles desired to repair his public image, which had been marred by the shooting death of his wife's paramour, Philip Barton Key. Sickles was active...
John C. Frémont Nathan Kimball John A. Logan John Alexander McClernand DanielSickles James B. Steedman Alfred Terry Lew Wallace Reflecting the multi-national...
was one of five infantry regiments formed by former U.S. Congressman DanielSickles and established as part of the Excelsior Brigade which fought with the...
When he first heard the news, Sickles was skeptical, but finally believed it and decided to pull back to Hazel Grove. Sickles became increasingly nervous...
between Mr. Key and Mrs. Sickles They have from time to time attended parties, the opera, and rode out together. Mr. Sickles has heard of these reports...
1847, she had met lawyer and Tammany Hall brother DanielSickles. White's staff considered Sickles to be her "man". Nineteenth century prostitutes commonly...
passion. The defense was first successfully used by U.S. Congressman DanielSickles of New York in 1859 after he had killed his wife's lover, Philip Barton...
cooperation with Maj. Gen. DanielSickles,[citation needed] another crony of Hooker's. Although the battle was a great Union victory, Sickles and Butterfield testified...
Maj. Gen. DanielSickles' III Corps to defend the southern end of Cemetery Ridge, which would have just included Little Round Top. Sickles, defying Meade's...
7205/MILMED-D-14-00182. PMID 25181725. Pearlstein, Kristen (1 July 2021). "Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Sickles: His Contribution to the Army Medical Museum". National Museum of...
Baggley Episode: "Hooray for Hollywood" 1965 Profiles in Courage Gen. DanielSickles Episode: "Edmund G. Ross" 1965 The Doctors and the Nurses Carl Garson...
Global Information