The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-08-07
A STORY FROM GEN, sICKLES.

One of tue most pathetic figures that
attended the Gettysburg jubilee re
union was that of General Sickles, now
in his SSth year. He was corps COM
mander in the Gettysburg battle, where
he lost leg His part in that battle
was conspicuous, and though his tao
ties were censured by General Meade,
the reply which he made TO that CEN
sure was convincing TO most minds that
! he ought not to have been censured,
but rather praised. Latterly General
Sickles has come into public promi-
nence very much to his discredit, both
as 10 his domestic relations and as to
care. Pity it is to say that man so
distinguished should be under charges
such as have been brought against him,
! and that he was in attendance at the
! Gettysburg reunion only by the per-
mission of the prosecuting authorities
of the State of New York.
Still, General Sickles is always a
piquant character, and is always able
to say something of interest; and he
is especially strong so far as the war
is concerned in vindication of himself
at any point where ne may be attacked;
indeed, his services were conspicuously
fine, He did not, SO far as known,
indulge in any recrimination at the
battlefield, although he was marked
character there. On his return to Bal,
timore after the reunion, he gave to
the Baltimore American an interview,
which is of the most interesting kind
and is a real human-interest story in
connection with the great battle, al
though the matter narrated has no di-
rect connection with the battle itself.
Its interest lies in the talk that Gen
cral Sickles had with President Lin
coin, when Sickles was returned to
Washington directly after the great
battle. That interview is as follows;
"You didn't know there were three
claimants for the honor of winning the
battle. did you?" the general asked.
There were" he went on, answering his
myself and there was another more pow
erful claimant-Lincoln.
II remember very well the day the
president told me OF 1t. I had been
taken TO Washington after being wound
ed and losing my leg on the field. II
was Sunday, the 5th of July, three days
after the terrific fighting which had been
the lot OF the Third corps under my COM
mand."
II was in my lodging house on f
street, opposite the Ebbitt house j was
president arrived. My wound was pain
ing me terribly and 1 was weak from
the loss Of much blood, ! could not
rest though 1 had been lying there
- oil In, ha a,r,o
soldiers had tumbled my landlady out of
bed at that early hour She looked out
OF her third story window and inquired
about the sfuss below.
=" Who's there?' she cried,
The officer in command shouted up
that Gen, Sickles was the man whose
features were hid by handkerchief
thrown over his face
"'oh, dear me" she exclaimed Is
he dead?
"I snatched the handkerchief from my
face and said:
NO, auntie. not quite dead yet. I'm
only doing a little
when the president arrived. no asked
many questions about the battle, all OF
spite OF my wound 7 felt like Joking
him a bit about the anxiety which had
been felt in Washington during the
days OF battle al Gettysburg, and I
MIR President we heard al the front
that you we're all very anxious about
us I0ai. ln1sep, YOU were all packing
up and getting ready 10 get out
well. Sickles,' he said, some Of them
may have been packing up and getting
ready 10 flee. but | wasn't
md then he told Tne about C;ods 5 share
IN the success Of our army at Gettvs-
burg. He paused a moment or two be-
fore he spoke. and lowered his head
When he looked al me again I saw that
had seen ~ before, He seemed to bc
searching within for his thought.
viii ten you why didn't pack.
dentlally, FOR I don't like these things 10
Eet into print.
81 confess I did feel a great deal OF
could not endure another defeat above
all on northern soil. in one of our own
fre" states. felt that ! bad done my
best 20 help our cause. but that the bur /
den had become too great for me | /
could not my way out
"I did not know ms way out. bu, ! f,
knew that y NC were defeated AZ Gcttys- !
burg there was great danger Of European
Intervention; that England and Fra nee !
would probably recognize the southeru
confederacv. and that would be the end
al tho Union.
~ wont to my chamber: 90, down
on my knees and I PRAYED. PRAYED |
more icrvcntly. more earnestly than ] /
had ever prayed before. 7 said: ''Dear !
Is YOUR war. this is your nation we arc |
your people. Pray help us. pray help 1
me. ] am almost crushed with the bur- |
den that ! have carried up 20 this day !
We cannot endure we cannot bear an
other defeat u would be our ruin.
Come 10 Us. DO help us. o Lord help
than ever before"
when / arose 10 my feet. Sickles. [
! felt a comforting relief IN nv soul |
felt that my prayer was heard and an
swered: 7 felt that God was with us and
would help us. and after that moment !
had no fears about Gettysburg
80 YOU see the old general smiled !
his haif-closed eyes glowing with fire ONLY
partially dimmed bv age. 'T not only had !
Lincoln With me. but had the Lord with l
me-. and ~ IS no wonder that we held .
Longs;reet and his tremendous army for
two and one-half bloody hours while thew
brought up the Fifth corps and the Sixth