Year: 1869

were Edwin N. Stanton, James I. Brady, John
Graham, Thos Francis Meagher, Reverdy John
son, and Colonel Phillips, of Alabama. The Hon.
Robert Ould now Of Richmond, Virginia, con-
Quoted the prosecution, assisted by MIR. Carlisle.
Towards the close of the trial Mr. Ould eudeavored
to introduce testimony as to Sickles previous bad
character, but it was overuled. The sympathy
of the jury was evidently with Sickles from the
outset. The courtroom was crowded With his New
York friends, who made boisterous demonstrations
in his favor Brady and Stanton made elaborate
argument for the defence, and when the jury rem.
dered an acquittal, scene followed rarely witnessed
in a courthouse The people went wild with
cheers one of the counselkissed the liberated man,
and another sat down and wept Sickles was car
ried in triumph to his home, and band of music
in the evening serenaded his counsel, and would
have serenaded him but for the good sense Of Mr..
Brady, who made them speech, and begged them
to 90 home.


Letters of congratulation poured in upon Sickles
from all parts of the country. He informed his
friends that be would Immediately procure d.
vorce from his wife, and after providing for her
decently, cast her from his mind forever. But
not long after, when be returned to New York, to
the astonishment of the world, be took his wife
back to live with him. This extraordinary conduct
swept nearly every old friend from his side. Men
who had stood by him through the trial like broth
ers, turned away from him forever in the intensity
of their disgust. His political enemies visited
him with their most whitening sarcasm, and the
Tribune published an article upon him almost un-
equalled in it's brutality Sckles, in reply to these
structures of friend and foe, came out in letter
defending his conduct but it won back none Of the
former.


The cause of this strange course was never publicly
known, but the story current in private circles was
that certain promissory notes had been discounted
at the Shoe and Leather Bank in favor of Sickles,
bearing the Endorsement Of Bagiol, his father-in-
law. This endorsement Bagioli failed to recognize
as his and to save himself from the accusation Of
writing what he should not write, Sickles sub
mitted to terms-he went back to his wife. The
notes were settled several years afterwards.


The year following the murder, the secession
troubles commenced, and Sickles, true to his Con-
gressional record, was eloquent in defence Of the
course of the South. It was stated at the time,
that some weeks after the firing upon Sumter,
when the whole North was aroused to frenzy Of
warlike excitement Sickles met band of South
ern sympathizers at the New York Hotel, and
harangued them upon the folly and wickedness Of
coercion Suddenly he gave way to the current,
and bossomed into an ardent patriot. He raised
a brigade for service in the field He was in hot
water from the beginning. His first trouble was
with the Union Defence Committee because they
would not accept his vouchers and pay money on
them when they were written with lead pencil.
At last, he received $1,000 from the committee
but subsequently, he took the mems receipts for
the money to Washington, and upon the claim
that the money had been paid out of his own pock-
ct, be received it over again. The brigade cost
the city, to arm and equip, nearly $3OO,O 900. When
it was taken to Washington, Sickles marched it to
the White House, and boastingly informed Lincoln
that it had been raised out Of bis own means.


General Sickles' principal military exploit was
at Gettysburg. By blunder he nearly lost the
battle to the Union cause, and led his men to be
moved down like grass. This affair induced a
prominent general to assert in communication to
the press that if General Sickles had not lost his
leg at the battle of Gettysburg he would have been
cashiered.' The wound kept him from active ser
vice in the field during the remainder Of the war.


When the Reconstruction act passed Congress,
and the South was cut up into satrapcies, Sickles
was sent to lord it over South Carolina. He was
as cruel and arbitrary there as the most ardent
hater of the vanquished Carolinian, could wish.
He arrested citizens and threw them into the
military prisons without examination; seized funds
in the bank; shut up the savings institution, and
forced the people to submit to humilations Of all
kinds that they we're powerless to resist He made
himself thoroughly detested by those over whom
he ruled and it was with intense qualification they


learned at last that President johnson had resolved
to remove him. He came back home, was banquet
ed by the Union League Club, toasted by John
Jay, and rested on his honors.


During the last Presidential election, while draw
ing pay as an officer in the army be traversed the
country making political speeches. His candidate
was elected, and he now has his reWard-the NILS
sion to the proudest and most punctiious nation
in the old world.


EDUCATION suppose that every learned


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