The National tribune., 1910-03-17
THE PROMOTION OF GEN. slckLEs

| The promotion of Maj.-Gen. Daniel
E. Sickles to Lieutenant-General Is due
| to the grand old Army of the Potomac,
which has received entirely 100 little
recognition of it's monumental service to
the country. When 1t is remembered
that the Army of the Potomac Included
very nearly half of all the men mus
tered for the defense Of the Union. that
for four years it was the principal afmy
and fought great. terrific battles which
were vital to the cause, it win be seen
how scanty has been the public recoS-
milton of its men and OF its officers.
/ Gen. Sickles was one of the creators Of
that army, and until disabled by a Sc
we're wound at Gettysburg he played all
! the time most conspicuous part in its
history. He entered the army with
| four splendid regiments, which he had
raised by his own personal exertions,
/ pledging his means and going far be-
yond them to raise and equip the men
and fit them for service. and as soon as
the army was formed he became a posi-
tive. aggressive force in it. His fiery
earnestness in the cause for which the
army was raised and his soldierly abil-
| fly brought him rapid promotion, until
| in less than two years he was in com
mand OF one of the great corps COM
posing that army, and whether Gen.
Sickles was commander of a brigade, a
division or a corps, he meant fight and
fight to the bitter end. His course at
Gettysburg, which has been so much
criticized by the Regular officers, had
the supreme quality of forcing Lee to
| fight, and Lees army was shattered by
the fearful battle thrust upon him.
Gen. Sickles is now not only the rank
| ing surviving officer of the Army of the
Potomac. but the ranking surviving Of
| ficer Of the civil war. He is one of the
three corps commanders now living and
much the senior of his two distin-
guished colleagues. To honor him is
therefore to honor the Army of the Po-
tomac and TO honor the many magnifi-
cent soldiers with whom he was asso-
ciated and of whom he was peer.
| Nor was Gen. Sickless great service
to the Union confined to his military
career. Probably he rendered even bet
ter help to the Union in politics than
in the field. He was representative
| Democrat at time when the attitude
Of the Democratic Party toward the
war was of supreme Importance, and
when the secession leaders expected
with the greatest reason that they
I IrnnId 1,au h. haI nf h.
Democrats in their scheme to divide
the Union. There was not an instant's
hesitation on Gen. Sickles's part He
was then Representative in Congress-
and stood high in the councils of the
Buchanan Administration. When Pres
lident-elect Lincoln came to Washington
in February. 1851, in advance of his in
Iauguration, Gen. Sickles went to him
at once. learned from his own lips what
his policy would be, and threw himself
ardently into the work of arraying the
Democratic Party in his support Gen.
Sickles went to President Buchanan,
with whom he was q great fayorite, and
adjusted the relations satisfactorily be-
tween the outgoing and incoming Presi-
dents. This was of the greatest value
at that critical time. II endeared
ISickles to President Lincoln, who after
wards employed him on missions of the
greatest Importance and diplomatic
lskill. all of which Gen. Sickles managed
with consummate ability. He continued
his services to the succeeding Admin
Iistrations, and was particularly valuable
to Gen. Grant while Minist-r to Spain
II any man in the country has earned
promotion to Lieutenant-General 1t is
Ma. j.-Gen. Daniel r Sickles, and his
promotion to that rank would be grate-
fully received by all who are familiar
with the history OF the stirring times
Of the war.