Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-05-04

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atihg the bloody conflict on the Peach
Orchard; 1t has been termed a move
which saved the field to the Union
force. Lieutenant General Longstreet,
Of the Confederate army, his adver-
sary on the field. wrote General Sickics
on September 10, 1902, as follows:
On that field you made your
mark that will place you promi-
nenty before the world as one
of the leading figures of the most
important battle of the Civil war.
AS Northern veteran once re-
marked to me. General Sickles
can we'll afford to leave leg on
that field"
believe that it is now conceded
that the advanced position at the
Peach Orchard, taken by your
corps and under your orders, saw
ed that battlefield to the Union
cause. 1t was the s.rest and sad
est reflection of my life for many
years, but to-day 1 can say, with
sincerest emotion, that 1t was and
Is the best that could have hap
pened to us all, North and South;
and l hope that the nation, r.-
united. may always enjoy the hon
or and glory brought to it by that
grand work.
Praised by Sheridan
And Lieutenant General Sheridan
made the following statement in 1880
to Major Tyler Prundle, of the Twen-
ty-eighth Massachusetts Volunteers,
and to Lieutenant L. Edward jenkins.
of the Second Massachusetts heavy ar
tillery, both residents of Boston:
] examined Sickles' position os
the battlefield very carefully, and
have no hesitancy whatever in
saying that under the conditions
in which General Sickles found
himself on that occasion he could
have done nothing else but move
out as he did when he met Cen
eral Longstreet's threatening adj
Dances and IL he had not done
so there would have been no third
day at Gettysburg and General
Meade would have been forced off
his position on his left flank and
would have been forced to with
draw the army to his Pipe Creek
position, where he first intended
to fight the impending battle.
The Killing of Key
Few men of note in the present gem
GRAFTON had q more romantic or tragic
family story than General Eickles In
the public eye the most memorable
of the incidents in this tragedy was
his staying of Philip Barton Key. son
OF Francis Scott Key, the author of
The Star-Spangled Banner"
Sickles, stalwart, handsome. ambi-
tlous, was in 1853 corporation counsel
OIL New York. His ambition led him
10 the study OF Italian and Spanish to
llt hllnself for diplomatic service. He
met and married Theresa Bagiola,
daughter of an italian music teacher
TO The most fashionable New York
famllies. Theresa was only II and
was accomplished in the knowledge
OF language and feminine graces Of
the times On his return from the
Court of ST. James. where he had
peen secretary of legation, Siekles was
sent to Congress.
1t was in Washington on an after
noon In February, 1859, that the Key
Tragedy occurred. Key was a young
man OF equal brilliancy with Sickles.
he held the post of United States dis
trlct attorney and they became in
separate companions, to be found at
ciuhs and at the hotels, and Key grad
ualiy became the third person with
Slckles and his wife when they figured
AT Wnlte House and legation recep-
tions
An anonymous letter that aroused
olckles brought out the truth that Kew
nad fascinated the beautiful vivacious
itallan woman who, from a quiet life
IN New York, had been suddenly
brought forward with all the charms
into the polished, brilliant society of
the capital Sickles found a rendez-
vous that KY had arranged in a
mouse In an obscure section of Wash
lnston, which he had rented and where
a discreet colored servant was care
taker He forced a written confession
from ct,,tr IT,
marriage and engagement rings, and
sent Tor her father to take her away.
On the following afternoon, Sunday,
General SickleS from the windows of
ms nome, saw Key signaling to his
Wlle TO come out and accompany him
lor walk The woman's frightened
lace appeared at the window; her
quick signs of refusal told Key moth
ing. He continued on his way to the
intended rendezvous Armed with two
deringer pistols and revolver, Sickles
tolloWed him. He passed the White
House into old Lafayette Square, drew
ahead of his victim and then crossed
the street in front of him. A few
words passed between the men and
then Slckles fired upon his opponent,
killing him.
Acquitted of Murder
The trial of Sickles which followed
divided their friends and a large part
or the American public into two hos
tile camps-those who found pallia-
t1on In Sfckles' act and those who de-
nounced him as murderer. After a
trial lasting for twenty days Sickles
was acquitted. Then arose more dis
cussion when it became known that
he had forgiven his wife and again
received her into his household. The
woman died "a few years later broken
by the tragedy and the social ostracism
that followed it.
General Sickles found his second
romance while representing the United
States at the Spanish Court. He won
and married the Daughter of a Span
lsh counsellor of State and niece of
the Marchioness of Novaliches. the
Countess of Santa Isabel and Mistress
OF the Robes at Queen Isabella's court.
A son and daughter were born of the
marriage. Stanton Sickles has been
IN the diplomatic service of the United
States at Madrid, Athens and Paris.
The daughter, Edna, is now Mrs. Cra-
chenthorpe, wife of the Secretary of
the British Embassy in Vienna.
Separates From Second Wife
General and Mrs Sickles parted in
Farls In 1881, their differences arising
over General Sickles' desire to return
TO America and take up a political
lie and his wife's wish to remain in
Spain. After 27 years, however, the
couple were reunited by the approach
ing death of the old soldier.
The closing years of General Sickles'
life were filled with vicissitudes. He
inherited a fortune, estimated to be
as high as 81 000 000 from, hi, 49,.