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After the Civil War, Sickles remained with the army, but he was kept from combat commands. Instead, he mainly held commands in the South during Reconstruction and earned a reputation for protecting the rights of freedmen and laborers. After he retired in 1869, he continued in government service
as the U.S. Minister to Spain in 1869-1874. He returned to Congress in 1893- 1895 and sponsored the legislation that formed the Gettysburg National Military Park. He famously is said to have remarked, “The entire battlefield is a memorial to Sickles.” Sickles had faced multiple financial setbacks throughout his life, and towards its end he was in financial straits. On Sept. 9, 1912, the Boston Evening Transcript page 12 headline read “Sheriff May Sell Sickles Collection” and the main article headline stated, “Sickles’s Relics in Peril Ordered Sold to Satisfy a Judgment Veteran General Ninety Years Old is Worried...Swords and Other Reminders of the Great War.” The article discusses another sword presented to Sickles from the citizens of New York and also quotes Sickles as saying, “I had four swords given to me during my war career, but I have only two left. The other two were stolen from my room in Washington just before the close of the war, and I have never been able to trace them. One was a gift from my officers, and the other, which I valued highly, was given to me by my soldiers after I was wounded at Gettysburg.” The “sincere friend” that presented the current sword is not known. The consignor noted they believed it was a gift from President Abraham Lincoln. The president and his family met with Sickles many times while he was in
the capital after being wounded at Gettysburg. This sword was purchased through noted dealer Peter Hlinka of New York City in the late 1950s.
CONDITION: Very fine. The crisp blade is mostly bright and has distinct etching, a bent tip, and minor age and storage related wear. The scabbard and hilt have bright original gilt finish in the protected areas and otherwise attractive aged patina, crisp designs, a distinct inscription, solder at the helmet seam, some dents (one very deep) in the otherwise fine scabbard body, and generally minor overall wear. The silver grip has a very dark and attractive aged patina. This is a very attractive and distinctive Tiffany & Co. embellished Collins sword inscribed to a well-known and controversial Union general, and is shown in a period photograph of General Sickles.
This beautiful presentation sword combined with the cane inscribed to Sickles in 1864 and the Colt Model 1855 “Root” presented to him during Reconstruction represents an incredible opportunity acquire three historical artifacts presented to one of the Civil War’s most famous generals: Major General Daniel Sickles, commander of the Excelsior Brigade and the III Corps at Gettysburg where he lost his leg in heavy fighting and showed tremendous courage that later earned him the Medal of Honor. Estimate: 30,000 - 50,000
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