The record-union., 1898-05-04

ready TO make trouble II Gould but
made a sign. Sickles' boldness. how
ever took the fight out of Gould and he
capitulated. General Dix was elected
/ President of the Erie Road then and
there, and General Sickles, who refused
to take the Presidency. received a fe.
of S150,0O0 for restoring the property
to the stockholders.
General Sickles was appointed Cor
poration Attorney of New York early
in 1858, and in the fall of that year he
was commissioned Secretary of Lega-
ton in London, James Buchanan having
been appointed Minister to England
After spending two years abroad Sickles
returned TO New York and in 1856 he
was elected a State Senator after a bit
ter and exciting campaign, in which the
successful candidate made his election
a test of the Endorsement of Mr., Bu-
chanan by the New York Democracy.
Although associated with minority of
! three others, Senator Sickles made a
| brilliant record in the Senate His
speech on the Trinity Church bill, estab-
j fishing the rights of that corporation,
was a noted event. So complete and eff
fective was his review of the question at
issue that the Vestry of Trinity caused
many thousand copies of the speech to
be printed for distribution in after years.
/ While receiving the most grateful ac-
acknowledgements from DR.. Berrien,
Bishop Horatio Potter, General Dix and
other prominent EDiscopalians Senator
Sickles' most cherished reward was the
consciousness that his elaborate and
successful argument was response to
his mothers reqeust to him to defend
what she regarded as the rights of the
church of which she was member. In
the winter of 1867 General Sickles was
nominated by the Democratic members
! of the Legislature as their candidate for
the United States Senate
| Before his term in the State Senate
/ expired Mr.. Sickles was elected to Con-
greSs. About the same time Fernando
| Wood was a candidate for the Mayor
atty. There was much opposition to
| Wood and his methods, and Mr.. Sickles
took an active part in the fight against
/ Wood and in favor of Daniel T. Tie
mann. The latter was elected by a ma
| jority of 5000 Mr.. Sickles served two
| successive terms in Congress, and he
took high rank in that body. He held
a leading position on the Committee Oh
Foreign Affairs, and his influence in
Congressional debates was of positive
character. 1t was during his residence
in Washington that the one dark cloud
of his life eclipsed his domestic happi-
ness. Discovering a guilty intimacy be-
tween his wife and Philip Barton Key,
United States Attorney for the District
of Columbia he shot and killed Key on
February 81, 1859 He was tried for
murder and acquitted, the verdict being
/ IN -%x III
ment. Commenting on this event in
April, 1889, a writer in "Harper's
| Weekly" said of Mr. Sickles: What
ever he may have to charge against him
self in the matter of youthful follies,
hundred proofs car be furnished of his
perfect devotion and passionate attach
ment to his unfortunate wife. In Wash
| ington it would be difficult to find a
man, especially in public life more do
mestic in his habits, or more devoted to
his family than he has been during his
residence at the Capital
| Retiring from Congress in March,
! 1861 Mr.. Sickles was one of the first to
anticipate the need of his country for
soldiers. At the outbreak of the war
| of the rebellion he organized the Excel
sior Brigade of United States Volunteers
| L
Colonel of one of the five regiments. He
was nominated Brigadier- General in
September, 1861, but was not confirmed
by the Senate until March, 1862, when
he was nominated second time for
gallantry. General Sickles served under
General Joseph Hooker with marked
distinction at Williamsburg, Fair Oaks
and Malvern Hill. He was in the seven
| n g 0ht ND oil
participated at Antietam. Succeeding
General Hooker in the command of the
division, he took part in the engagement
at Fredericksburg. He was appointed
ajor- General Of Volunteers on March
Z, 1863, his commission dating from No
vember %, 1862 At Charlottesville,
commanding the Third Army Corps, to
which he had been promoted, he was
highly commended for gallant conduct,
and his courage and activity at Gettys
burg are matters of history. All au
thorities accord him a very important
part in that great battle, some contend
ing that his was the master stroke that
saved the day. 1t was at Gettysburg
that he lost a leg. In March, 1865, he
was breveted a Major-General Of the
regular army for bravery and meritori-
Gus service at Gettysburg.
President Lincoln and Secretary Sew
ard sent General Sickles on a confden-
tial mission to Colombia and other
South American States early in 1860.
He negotiated an important treaty re-
garding rights of transit over the 18TH
mus Of Panama Immediately upon his
return to this country he was selected
to play an important part in the task
| TIa 1O5 4Ian
Military Department of the Carolinas
in 1867 and performed his duties in
manner that elected the cordial COM
mendation of Secretary Stanton and
| General Grant The views Of Presi-
dent Johnson differed from those of
! General Sickles, however. and the Pres
ident relieved Sickles of his command,
after first offering him the mission to
the Netherlands, which he declined. He
was mustered out of the service Jan
uary /, 1868, and was placed on the re-,
tired list with the full rank of Major
General April IA, 1869
In the spring of 1868 President
Grant having rendered to General
| Sickles the mission to Mexico, which
was declined, appointed him United
States Minister to Spain, a post which
he retained hntil March 20, 1874. After
relinquishing that Office to his sue
cessor General Sickles continued to re-
side abroad, chiefly in France, until
1880. He formed many close friend
ships during that period with persons
distinguished in statecraft, literature,
and professional life. Since his re-
turn to New York General Sickles has
served a term in Congress, has held for
a brief period the office of Sheriff of