Daniel Sickles's leg facts for kids
The right lower leg of Union Army general Daniel Sickles is a famous display at the National Museum of Health and Medicine. He lost his leg during the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2, 1863, when a cannonball hit him.
Daniel Sickles was a politician from New York before he joined the army. This was at the start of the American Civil War in 1861. He became a major general in 1862. He led a group of soldiers called the III Corps. They fought in important battles like Chancellorsville and Gettysburg.
At Gettysburg, Sickles moved his troops forward from where they were supposed to be. His group was then badly attacked by Confederate soldiers. During this fight, a heavy cannonball hit his leg. The injury was so bad that doctors had to remove his leg above the knee. After the surgery, his leg was sent to the Army Medical Museum. This museum is now called the National Museum of Health and Medicine. The leg became a teaching example for doctors learning about war injuries. Sickles sometimes visited his leg at the museum. It is still a very popular exhibit today.
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Who Was Daniel Sickles?
Daniel Sickles was born in New York City on October 20, 1819. He became involved in politics. He served in the United States Congress from 1857 to 1861.
When the American Civil War began in 1861, Sickles joined the Union Army. He quickly became a brigadier general. He first led a group called the Excelsior Brigade. In November 1862, he was promoted to major general. He then led a division at the Battle of Fredericksburg. Later, he commanded the III Corps at the Battle of Chancellorsville. He also led the III Corps at the famous Battle of Gettysburg.
The Battle of Gettysburg and Sickles's Injury
On July 2, 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg was still happening. General Sickles was worried about the spot his III Corps was told to defend. He decided to move his troops forward to a new line. This new position was along the Emmitsburg Road. While it had some good points, it was also very open to attack. The original spot had been safer.
Confederate troops, led by General James Longstreet, attacked Sickles's new position. The III Corps was quickly overwhelmed. As his soldiers' line broke apart, Sickles rode to the area known as the Peach Orchard. This part of his line was falling apart. After seeing his troops retreat, he rode towards the Trostle Farm.
Sickles rode onto a small knoll to get a better view of the fighting. Suddenly, a 12-pound (5.4 kg) solid shot cannonball hit his right leg. His horse did not get scared. Sickles got off his horse, and a tourniquet was put on his wound. He then gave command of the III Corps to David B. Birney. Sickles was carried off the battlefield on a stretcher, still smoking a cigar.
Amputation and Display
The cannonball had broken both bones in Sickles's lower right leg. These bones are called the tibia and the fibula. The medical director of the III Corps, Thomas Sim, performed the amputation. At first, they thought they could cut below the knee. But the damage was worse than it looked. So, the leg had to be removed above the knee. Sickles was given chloroform to make him sleep during the surgery.
After the leg was removed, it was kept, possibly by Dr. Sim. Sickles knew that the Army Medical Museum had just started. This museum was collecting "specimens of morbid anatomy," which means examples of diseased or injured body parts. Sickles had his leg sent to the museum in a box shaped like a coffin.
The broken tibia and fibula bones were held together with wire. They became a museum exhibit. The bones were used to teach doctors about serious injuries from battles. Sickles recovered quickly from his wound. However, he never led troops in the field again. He sometimes visited his leg at the museum on the day he lost it. He even brought visitors with him, including the famous writer Mark Twain. Twain joked that Sickles seemed to value his lost leg more than his healthy one. Sickles retired from the army in 1869. He later worked as a diplomat in Spain and served another term in Congress. He passed away on May 3, 1914, at 94 years old.
Today, Sickles's leg bones are in a glass case. As of 2014, they were one of the most requested exhibits at the museum. For a short time in 2011, the bones were shown at Fort Detrick. But by 2021, they were back at the National Museum of Health and Medicine. The bones are attached to a wooden stand with metal prongs. Next to them is a cannonball, just like the one that caused his injury.
See also
In Spanish: Pierna de Daniel Sickles para niños
