Comments on: Union General Daniel Sickles

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:11:50 +0000

Remember Lee’s decision to attack the middle was based on forcing Meade to retreat due to Sickles incompetance. Lee’s decision was delayed because of the lack of intelligence from his calvary about the union reserve. Meade was right in redrawing his lines and taking up high positions. Had sickles not moved his army forward there would not have been a second or third day.

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:07:03 +0000

It seems to me that even though there were some unintended positives for the union from Sickles actions his flamboyant, political calousness cost the union thousands of lives. Meade was likely right in taking up defensive positions. Even though Lee would have attacked with greater force, the Union was in a position to smash Lee’s forces. The ridge gave the Union an unapproachable position with cannon fire.

Just because Sickles caught the Rebels off guard doesn’t mean that his decision was right. He forced the battle of the Wheatfield, causing the union to lose almost two entire armies. He forced units held in reserve to be moved forward and he forced Meade to fight in defense out in the open. I don’t care what you walked. Sickles was a fool. Had night fall not come, and had Lee’s General’s not failed to reinforce their gains Gettysburg would have been lost.

By: James Waller

James Waller — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:25:32 +0000

Interesting article but author fails to see the obvious. at Chancellorsville Sickles action caused Lee to worry about Jackson’s force being struck in the rear that he had two detach forces he had not intended to attck Birney. The author correctly points out that Gen Howard, XI Cdr. was warned by Gen Hooker to prepare for a possible flank attack from the west. Gen Howard’s failure to properly entrench was the cause of the disaster not Gen Sickles movement. At Gettysburg, by moving the III corp forward, Gen Sickles placed it directly in the path of Gen Longstreet’s I Corp attack utterly wrecking the timetable of Gen Lee’s carefully devised echelon attack. The ensuing battles at the Peach Orchid, Wheatfield and Devil’s den were battles in places Gen Longstreet had not expected and had thought he would swiftly pass through. Longstreets mission was to strike the flank of the US II Corp and not be delayed and embroiled in useless actions around the Emmitsburg Pike. Gen Sickle’s Corp absorbed and dissipated Lee’s mighty blow before it could strike where Lee wanted it to.

By: tom

tom — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:09:38 +0000

given the man’s basic diregard for all things of civility, authority, and a basic understanding of what he was doing, i feel that had any other gen. been in command of sickles corps there may have not even been a picket’s charge on the 3rd, or even a third day of battle.

By: Frank Kolar

Frank Kolar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:37:02 +0000

I respectfully disagree with the conclusions presented in this article. I walked the ground and came to the same conclusions reached by Sickles. He saw what I saw; high ground to our fronts (west). Leave the original position in the saddle and head west; the Emmitsburg Pike terrain becomes compelling.

You get similar sensings walking eastward from Longstreet’s positions. I this case, however, instead of running into a routinely expected, thin skirmish line, you run into two battle-tested Federal divisions. Although stretched over a significant distance, these divisions created conditions similar to those expected of a dedicated covering force. By late afternoon, Longstreet’s Corps lacked the combat power and momentum to seize their objectives. We all ask ourselves many times over, “What would have happened if the opposing forces met for the first time at the base of Cemetery Ridge and the Round Tops?”

In a three-day period when every engagement was of great importance, I believe that these engagements between Longstreet and Sickles on the afternoon of the second day were pivotal and of paramount importance.

Thanks – Frank