One of my favorite stories actually took place just prior to the Civil War. In 1859, a New York congressman, Daniel Sickles shot and killed Phillip Barton Key (son of Francis Scott Key) the US State Attorney for DC. Sickles discovered Key was carrying on an affair with his wife and shot him in Layfayette Square just north of the White House. Sickles was later acquitted based on a defense of temporary insanity (the first successful case in the US).
Sickles forgave his wife and stayed with her. The general public was very critical of the fact he did that. It didn’t matter that he took a prostitute to England on one of his junkets, even introducing her to the Queen.
During the war he was given the position of General and prior to the battle of Gettysburg, he moved his troop to higher ground , beyond the position he was ordered to hold. He lost most of his men and it is said he totally compromised the battle because he didn’t follow orders. He was also shot in the leg with a cannon ball. He gathered up the cannon ball and asked the doctors to keep the broken shin bone so he could donate it to a museum after the war (both are now in the Smithsonian Museum).
He would return to congress after the war.
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1 comment:
Terri such good stories. I enjoy reading your blog. also thank you for the post on my blog. In regards to the letters they are all hard copies, thick binder. I will take it and make you copies. My email address is mcgrury@gmail.com, send me you mailing address. Take care, jean
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