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The Flamboyant Daniel Sickles

© Michael J. Swogger

The Civil War was full of colorful and controversial personalities. Nathan Bedford Forrest was one of the most feared and dangerous cavalrymen of the War, and his fire-breathing mentality fed such anxiety towards him and his Southern raiders. Benjamin "The Beast" Butler was certainly a controversial figurehead during the Union occupation of New Orleans with his policies toward the civilians of the city. And William T. Sherman, with his hard-nosed attitude and unequivocal distaste for politicians, was one of the most beloved generals in the Union. Probably the most flamboyant and one of the most controversial and political generals was Daniel Sickles.

Sickles was a New York city native educated at New York University. Having a great interest in law, he apprenticed himself at New York's Tammany Hall, and he was admitted to the bar in 1843. And since Sickles perpetually sought the spotlight, he viewed the quickest route to fame was through politics; and for him, Democratic politics (Sears, 1999). During his political career, he served as corporation counsel of New York, was a diplomat in London, became a state senator and then a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

A perfect illustration of Sickles' persona can be found in his behavior in February 1859. While serving in the House, Sickles learned that his wife was having an extramarital affair with one Philip Barton Key, son of the author of the Star Spangled Banner. He quickly found the culprit and subsequently shot him but a block from the White House. Sickles' trial defense was made by a seven-man team of lawyers headed up by Edwin M. Stanton, future Secretary of War. Stanton came up with the "temporary insanity" defense, and rather than expose Sickles' own adulterous encounters, the prosecution acquiesced (Sears, 1999). Sickles was the first man in history to be acquitted on grounds of temporary insanity (Nofi, 1986).

When 1860 and secession role around, Sickles turned against his Democratic and Southern leanings and became a full patriot; he was first House Democrat to greet Lincoln when he arrived in Washington in February 1861 (Sears, 1999). When Fort Sumter fell, Sickles was once again a civilian in New York. Talk among his friends seemed to urge Sickles to raise a regiment himself, and this was the sort of challenge that inspired the man. So with only a short stint as a major in the New York militia as experience, Sickles he first recruited the 70th New York and then the Excelsior Brigade. He later was granted the rank of brigadier general.

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