True Life Tuesday: Daniel Sickles

Daniel Edgar Sickles was born on October 20, 1819 (although he claimed 1825) in New York City. His parents were George Garrett, a patent lawyer and politician, and Susan Marsh Sickles. He married Teresa Bagioli on September 27, 1852 against the wishes of both families. He was 32 and she was 15 or 16. It is believed that this is the reason why he changed the year he was born. 

He studied at the University of the City of New York (now New York University). He then studied law at the offices of Benjamin Butler. He was admitted to the New York bar in 1843. In 1847 he was elected to the New York State Assembly. In 1853 he was appointed by President Franklin Pierce to be secretary to the US legation in London. He returned to the US in 1855. In 1856 and 1857 he was elected to US Congress. 

The incident he is most famous for occurred on February 27, 1859. In Lafayette Square, across from the White House, he shot and killed Phillip Barton Key II. Key was the US attorney for Washington, DC and was the son of Francis Scott Key. Sickles discovered that Key was having an affair with his wife, Teresa. Sickles surrendered to Attorney General Jeremiah Black at Black's home and confessed. He was taken to jail where he was given many accommodations and he had so many visitors that he had to use the head jailor's apartment to receive them all. He was charged with murder and was represented by several politicians including Edwin Stanton who would late be Secretary of War. He plead not guilty by reason of insanity. This was the first use of this defense in the US. He was eventually acquitted of all charges. He ended up forgiving his wife which maddened the public. 

At the start of the Civil War Sickles raised volunteer units for the Union Army in New York. He was eventually appointed as a Coronel of the 70th New York infantry and was then promoted to Brigadier General of Volunteers in 1861. He refused to return runaway slaves and would put them on the Union payroll as servants or train them as soldiers. In March 1862 he had to relinquish command when Congress refused to confirm his commission. He lobbied his DC contacts and reclaimed his rank and command on May 24, 1862. He was promoted to Major General by President Lincoln on March 11, 1863. This was controversial since he was the only corps commander without a West Point education. He was wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg and ended up having his right leg amputated. He was given the Medal of Honor for his action at Gettysburg 34 years later. 

After the Civil War he worked for many different organizations during Reconstruction. He served as US Minister to Spain from 1869-1874. While there he was rumored to of had an affair with Queen Isabella II. His wife, Teresa, died in 1867 and in 1871 he married Carmina de Creagh. The couple had 2 children. In the 1880s he frequently attended and spoke at Gettysburg reunions. In 1886 he was appointed honorary chairman of the New York Monuments Commission but he was required to step down in 1912 was it was determined that he embezzled $27,000 from the group. He served as a representative to the 53rd Congress from 1893-1895. While there he was a key figure in the efforts to preserve the Gettysburg battlefield. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage in New York City on May 3, 1914. His funeral took place at Saint Patrick's Cathedral on May 8, 1914 and he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.