Dan Sickles was a notorious politician turned political general during the American Civil War. Among the things he is noted for is being the first person ever acquitted of murder in the US "by reason of insanity".

1. The Notorious
Dan Sickles

2. "loved more sincerely,
and hated more
heartily, than any man
of his day."
- Harper’s Weekly

3. Early Years
Born October 20th, 1819
Sometimes given (by Sickles himself) as 1925
Father was very successful on Wall Street
Old Dutch family in New York - Van Sickelns

4. Da Pontes & Bagolis
Lorenzo Da Ponte Senior

5. Da Pontes & Bagolis
Maria Cooke, adapted and perhaps natural
daughter of Lorenzo Da Ponte Senior
Antonio Bagoli, husband of Maria Cooke
Teresa Bagoli, daughter of Antonio and Maria
Teresa was 3 years old when Dan Sickles
moved into the house

6. Youth
Spent much time in Five Points
17 Brothels in the area
young Sickles liked prostitutes very much
Became attached in particular to Fanny White,
a madam

7. Politics
At a young age, became deeply involved in
Tammany Hall activities
Would eventually become chair of the
Tammany Hall executive committee

8. Early Career
Trained as a printer
Studied at University of the City of New York
(now NYU)
Studied Law in the office of Benjamin Butler
Admitted to the bar in 1846

9. Marriage
On September 27th, 1852 Dan Sickles married
Teresa Bagoli
Sickles was 33, Teresa was 15

10. London
James Buchanan

11. London

12. Political Career
NYS Senate, 1856-1857
Censured for bringing a known prostitute, one
Fanny White, into the Senate chambers
Elected to the 35th Congress, reelected to the
36th Congress
Served from March 1857 to March 1861

13. A Scandal
Philip Barton Key II
son of Francis Scott Key

14. Lafayette Square
Washington, DC

15. Trial
Edwin Stanton (later Lincoln’s Secretary of
War) & James T Brady (of Tammany Hall)
Introduced the Insanity Defense to the US
Leaking to newspapers
Acquitted
“Withdrew” from public life

16. War!
Helps raise four regiments in the New York
City area, appointed Colonel of one of them
Promoted to Brigadier General of Volunteers
Given command of the Excelsior Brigade,
consisting mostly of NY troops
Placed in Joe Hooker’s Division

17. III Corps
Joe Hooker promoted to command of the Army
of the Potomac
Sickles promoted to Major General
Given command of III Corps by General
Hooker
Only Corps commander without a West Point
education

18. Meade Replaces
Hooker

19. Gettysburg
Second Day

20. Dan Sickle’s Right Leg

21. Lincoln

22. The Second Battle of
Gettysburg

23. After Gettysburg
Envoy to Columbia
Military Governor of the Carolinas 1865-67
Teresa Sickles dies of Tuberulosis, 1867
Appointed Minister to Spain by Grant

24. Spain
Affair with Queen Isabella II
(deposed)
courted and married Caroline
de Creagh
Failed in the goal of
separating Cuba from Spain

25. Return to the US

26. Return to Gettysburg
Chairman of the New York
State Battle Monuments
Commission
Congressional Medal of Honor
1897

27. The End