1 p.; 8 x 5 in. (203 x 127 mm), written upside down on "Head-Quarters, Army of the Potomac," stationery, with printed "1863" date; creasing from old folds; mat burn.

In full: "Major Gen. Sickles Army of Potomac--Sherman is quite pleased with his visit, if you do not particularly desire his return, cannot he remain? Mrs. Lincoln--"

Major General Daniel Sickles (1819-1914) was an American soldier, politician, and diplomat. During the Civil War he became one of the Union Army's key military leaders, who recruited the New York regiments that became known as the Excelsior Brigade. Even before the war began he was one of the more infamous figures in American politics, having shot and killed U.S. Attorney Philip Barton Key (son of "Star Spangled Banner" author Francis Scott Key) over Key's affair with Sickles's wife. Sickles's temporary insanity plea marked the first time this defense was ever used in American legal history. During the Battle of Gettysburg, Sickles was severely wounded by a Confederate cannonball, which required the amputation of his leg. Though he was roundly criticized for disobeying direct orders from General Meade, which almost cost the Union Army its victory at Gettysburg, Sickles nonetheless mounted a successful public relations campaign which painted him as something of a folk hero. The preservation and donation of his amputated leg to the Army Medical Museum played a key role in this. He remained active in the Union Army until the close of the war, although he would not see active duty again. Not listed in Turner.

Provenance:

Louise Taper, Beverly Hills, California