... — Sickles At Gettysburg: The Controversialв Civil

Major General remains one of the most polarizing figures of the American Civil War, primarily due to his unauthorized and nearly disastrous maneuver during the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2, 1863 . A Tammany Hall politician with no formal military training, Sickles was already infamous for becoming the first person in U.S. history to be acquitted of murder using the temporary insanity defense. The Controversy at Gettysburg

On the second day of the battle, Major General George Meade ordered Sickles’ III Corps to hold the southern end of Cemetery Ridge, anchoring the Union left flank at . Sickles, dissatisfied with the low-lying terrain and fearing a repeat of his experience at Chancellorsville, chose to abandon his assigned position. Daniel Sickles: An Unusual Character SICKLES AT GETTYSBURG: The ControversialВ Civil ...