generaldansickles

Daniel Sickles (1819-1914) lost his leg during the Civil War. Colorful character: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Sickles Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Disability History, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

Judging by the hat and the solder escorting him, I'd guess that he's at the Grand Reunion of 1913, held at Gettysburg Pennsylvania, to mark the 50th anniversary of the battle. Sickles lost his leg, and a large portion of his command, there. He donated his lost limb to a medical museum in Washington, where he'd visit it from time to time. Earlier in life, he shot and killed Philip Barton Key, Francis Scott Key's son, who was having an affair with his wife. I believe he was the first American to use the temporary insanity defense.

Mrs. Wilmerding is Eleanor Earle Wilmerding, who was Sickles' housekeeper and mistress. She lived with him in New York; his estranged wife and adult son lived in a nearby hotel when they were in town. Mrs. Wilmerding controlled who visited SIckles in his later years, and accompanied him on his rare public appearances (at 93, he was no longer capable of making speeches). Surprisingly, she died before him, in February 1914--he passed away a few weeks later, in April. www.sicklesatgettysburg.com/Sickles_Biography.html

I think MDRails could well be correct about this being related to the reunion of July 1913, especially because of the army uniform of his escort. He was especially of interest to the New York media becaue of the alleged missapropriation of $23,476 from the State Monument Commission of which he was Chairman, according to this report of January 27, 1913: query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C04E7D81E3AE633A...

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Veterans of the American Civil War, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Disability History, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

Gettysburg veteran General Daniel Sickles at the Great Reunion in 1913. He died the following year at age 94. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Sickles

Interesting to caption this as "Cheering Sickles". General Sickles himself appears to also be cheering, and every person in the photo appears to be looking at one place. Would Sickles have been cheering himself? Today that would seem unlikely, but I'm not sure of the etiquette for cheering in 1913.

Sickles was in his 90s at the Great Reunion, he was allowed to cheer for anything as he pleased. ;) And from the stories about him, I doubt etiquette was ever a major consideration in his life, at any age.

As a legislator he had pushed for the establishment of Gettysburg as a park. Perhaps that was what the cheering was about. bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=S000402 has a briefer bio than Wikipedia, focusing on his political career in New York State and Congress. See comments on www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/3681834943/ for more about him and his female companion, Mrs. Wilmerding. This picture was used in a longer biography at www.sicklesatgettysburg.com/Sickles_Biography.html NYT of June 30, 1913 reports on his visit to the Gettysburg reunion: query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9502E6DD153FE633A...

I found it interesting that there was no other info about who this was other than "Sickles," so a quick Internet search found the following: (from Wikipedia) (Daniel) Sickles lived out the remainder of his life in New York City, dying on May 3, 1914. His funeral was held at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan on May 8, 1914. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Daniel Edgar Sickles (October 20, 1819 – May 3, 1914) was a colorful and controversial American politician, Union general in the American Civil War, and diplomat. As an antebellum New York politician, Sickles was involved in a number of public scandals, most notably the killing of his wife's lover, Philip Barton Key II, son of Francis Scott Key. He was acquitted with the first use of temporary insanity as a legal defense in U.S. history. He became one of the most prominent political generals of the Civil War. At the Battle of Gettysburg, he insubordinately moved his III Corps to a position in which it was virtually destroyed, an action that continues to generate controversy. His combat career ended at Gettysburg when his leg was struck by cannon fire.

The man leading the procession (carrying Gen. Sickles' hat and saber) looks familiar, maybe from earlier Bain photos. My best guess is Elihu Root, then a senator from New York. Anyone else??

Other Bain/LOC photos of the New York City funeral of General Dan Sickles:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Sickles

I think the definition for "scoundrel" should say: "see Daniel Sickles"! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Sickles